Friday, April 24, 2009

Unexpected Changes

Howdy Y'all





When something changes your life in a manner you that you never expected. About a year ago I was fighting bulls in a rodeo (rodeo clown) and I had an eye opening experience.





Everyone has a little bit or psychic ability, its like you feel something is going to happen ,but you have no idea what it is but something isn't right. I was in the arena working the bull riding with my nephew when i got that feeling. I just worked through it like it wasn't there, then it happened.








We had a bull in the chutes and the rider was on his back ready to come out. When the cold chills run down my back. Being a clown you cant get distracted, because if you get distracted a rider gets hurt or worse they can die. Even you have that chance for that to happen. Nobody wants to see the clown/bullfighter get hurt or killed, but they don't want miss it if it happens. That's human nature.





My job when this bull came out was to get him by the nose and turn him into a spin. When a bull goes into a spin he either gives the rider a better chance to get a higher score or it will throw the rider off faster. as the bull cleared the chute I grabbed him by the face and he turned to the left into the spin. As he started to spin, I stepped into the chute to let him spin and fade out across the arena. Once he was away from the chute I followed him out and across the arena. When I was out of the chute the cold chills hit again. About 3 seconds later it happened. the rider slipped to the side and was hung up,( his hand was caught in the rope) and was being flung around like a rag doll.





My position was at the head of the bull, so I tried to pull the bull out of the spin to keep the rider from dragging him under the feet. At that time my nephew jumped onto the bull's back to untie the riders hand from the rope. As he reached the riders hand the bull turned and hit him and knocked him to the ground. When I saw this I side stepped the head of the bull and jumped and got a hold of the rope. I then pulled the rope and set the rider free from the beast. Just as he was free the the bull turned and hit me and flipped me through the air. As I came crashing to the ground after reaching a height of 10 feet in the air. When I hit the ground my head was bent backwards and I landed on my left shoulder. My best friend says I hit the ground like a sock being dropped on the ground. My body was in such a position that people in the stands thought my neck had to be broken.





As the people were watching horrified and worried about me, I laid there unconscious. No movement at all. after about 10 minutes I came to. I could see people all around me as I lay there flat on my back, the EMT's would not let me move. They were asking me questions like, do you know your name? Do you know where you are? What day is it? I answered them correctly. As I laid there I looked up and saw my 10 yr old son right above me standing on top of the bucking chutes. He had tears steaming down his face. I will never forget the look on his face, it looked like he had just seen the devil himself. I told Jamie to go get him and bring him to me, I needed to talk to him and tell him I am OK.





When my son got there I told him I loved him and everything was OK. I hugged him with my right arm and kissed his cheek.








As they prepared me to ride in the ambulance. the EMT's told me not to move that my neck may be broken. I looked at them and told them that my neck wasn't broke, because i don't have the burning sensation that i had before"I know what a broken neck feels like and this isn't that. I told them my collar bone is broke because it is not supposed to move where it's moving. As they rolled me on the back board I had a sparp pain on the left side of my back and i told them I ahve some broken ribs too.





when they wheeled me out of the arena I raised my right hand in the air to show all the spectators and rodeo fans I was OK.





The ride to the hospital the ride was terrible and rough as hell. On the way I did a lot of thinking and came to the conclussion that it was time for me to hang up my spurs and call it quits. I am 37 yrs old and 2 little boys to take care of its time to be a dad to them and I want to be around to watch them grow up.





My mom arrived at the hospital shortly after I got there. after the exam and the x-rays the doctor came back to the room. He told me that i had 2 broken ribs on my left side on my back. Then he told me, my left collar bone was broken in 2 places, about 3 inches from where it connects to my shoulder. I looked at him and said thats what I needded. the doctor and my mom looked and me in a confused manner. I am retired right now I am announcing it. My boys need me a lot more than rodeo does.

As we were gettin readyto leave the doctor sugested that i see a specialist in bone and joint. So I agreed to that.


I ended up with 2 broken ribs, broken collarbone, and a concussion.

My retirement lasted about 2 and a half months, when i arrived at a bullriding to judge it and the bullfighter that was hired never showed up. The stock contractor came to me and asked if I would fight bulls for him. I looked at him and told him that I was retired, and he looked at me and said I wouldn't ask but I need you. After a long thought I went out to my truck and sat on my tail gate and was thinking. Just as the National Anthem finished I walked back into the arena dressed ready to fight bulls. As I walked in all the cowboys looked at me and smiled. I walked right in the arena. My son was standing at the gate looking at me, I walked up to him got down on my knee, looked at him, gave him a hug. he looked at me and said I thought you retired? I looked in his scared face and said I am but I have to do this for me, this time its for me and no one else, "tonight I am walking out".

I walked in the arena and i was scared for the first time in many many years. The 5th bull out was the one that put me in the hospital and when he came out the hair stood up on the back of my neck. After the last bull left the arena I looked up at the stock contractor and he said we are done.


I wlked to the out gate, stopped and turned aroundto look back at the arena. I tipped my hat to the arena,blew it a kiss. As I turned to walk through the gate the tears streamed down my face. I was doneand this time it was by my choosing and not anyone or any animals doing.
I chose this time to be done.


If you quit and happy you did it thats great but don't sit back and say what if I had done this, it might be different. Never have regrets in your life, life is to short to to have regrets. Just remember this you made your choice, because thats what you wanted at that very moment. So never regret your choices. It was your choice and you made it.


Have a good day and I hope this helped someone with this.

1 comment:

  1. Never regret anything because at one time it was exactly what you wanted at one time. I think that is on one of my quote pages cowboy! So true though, so true...

    ReplyDelete