When I was growing up, I figured I’d be a dancer and a musician. It didn’t matter that I didn’t have the best coordination and I didn’t know how to play any instrument other than a cereal box with a wooden spoon. Our imaginations run free when we’re little.
I had no idea I’d grow up and become … Gate Girl!
You guys, this “job” is swinging! Here are the benefits:
- Regular up-and-down movement in and out of a truck
- Upper arm strength from closing gates that barely close
- Quick reflexes from gates that “pop” right open
- Teamwork – honed on gates that require two people
- Consistent employment – I’ll never be without a job
- Great scenery
- Depending on what truck we’re in, a bounce across the field that rivals a trampoline
Now, I want to be fair because this job isn’t just for girls; it’s open to anyone who wants to sit in the front passenger’s seat. If you’re on the ranch, this is your job if you hop in this location. Therefore, you might be called Gate Getter, depending on your gender.
I do have to say that over the past several years, my hubby has become quite chivalrous and before we go somewhere he asks if I’d like to drive, putting himself in the Gate Getter position. Sometimes I do drive, but if we are taking the ranch truck, then I don’t mind letting him bounce across the field while the last remaining shock bites the dust.
When we first got married, being Gate Girl meant I got to go with my cowboy, so of course I didn’t mind. And I still don’t. It’s just that in those early years, I might as well have had a cape. All I did was open and close gates we drove through. It wasn’t difficult – well, not always; there are those gates. You know what I mean: the ones we’ve been meaning to get around to replacing, but something more pressing always comes up.
The thing about being Gate Girl is that my cowboy appreciates it. Once we had kids, sometimes it counted as a date when we got to check cows together. It didn’t happen often because we didn’t have family around, but we savored the moments we got. As the kids grew older, they often became the Gate Getter because it was good practice for them – plus, they got to sit in the front seat!
The point is, how we look at a “job” makes a difference.
For several seasons of life, I didn’t want to be Gate Girl. I wanted to be Rad Rider (She brought the herd in all by herself! Ha!) or Supreme Sorter (The calves looked at her and they parted from their mamas like the Red Sea parted for Moses! Hee, hee!)
Perhaps my goals were unrealistic. Here’s what I’ve learned as I’ve aged:
- None of us ever truly arrives at any of these titles.
Even the best of the best have days where their ropes are slippery and the calves sneak through. There are days when you are in the exact right spot and a calf sneaks by you. Or days when you or your horse acts up and you are embarrassed.
- All jobs are important, whether it’s getting a gate or branding a calf.
Sometimes it seems there is a hierarchy in what we do on a ranch – and I know to some folks those titles are important. However, all jobs are important. If you scrub the toilets, you’re needed. (Trust me. Many a bunkhouse is disgusting.) If you hand out waters, you’re appreciated. If you’re not a roper at a branding, your job is just as important.
- There is always something to learn.
Sure, there are things we could do in our sleep (and sometimes we basically do), but there are new methods to consider or parts of ranching we’ve never done before. That adds an element of surprise. Sometimes this is good, as in, “Hey, I didn’t know I could wrestle that calf.” Sometimes it’s unfortunate: “I’m learning mechanic skills because something broke down and there’s a YouTube video for that.” (Which can turn out good or bad …)
Whatever our job on the ranch is at the moment, it all serves a purpose. Much of what we do doesn’t get seen anyway, despite what a recent TV show seems to be saying. It’s the miracle of the ordinary and the day-to-day that keeps us in awe. If I continue as Gate Girl, I’ll be fine – as long as I’m on an adventure with my Cowboy.
