The Title of a Country Boy

I kind of think of being called a country boy a title... think of it as knighthood or being a doctor. Because of that when I use it as a title it will be capitalized... Country Boy. But what does it really take to be a country boy? I was lucky, I was born into it. I was born in the country, raised in the country and at 18 moved from the country. So does that mean that because I lived in the country for the formative years of my life I'm a country boy and I get the title... well in a way yes.

In order to qualify to be a country by you have to fall under a couple of categories:

1st- Your god given birth right... or basically you were born into it.

2nd - you live in a city with less than 30,000 people... you can if you choose, take the title assuming you want to.

3rd- Transplant. I remember a guy that moved to my highschool that stuck out like a sore thumb... he wore cloths that you would see in the city and talked like he was from the city... ostricized. On the contrary he had a brother that embraced it and went along with the country living and ultimately earned the title of Country Boy.

4th- You have to have the mentailty... it is true, you can be born into the country, you can live in a small town, you can be a transplant but you ultimately have to have the mentality. What does that mean? The following pretty much sums it up for me:

"You have to love the quiet life. You have to know how to put you nose to the grindstone and find a way to make it work. You don't back down from anything but accept that sometimes you just can't do it. You have to be stubborn, not afraid, and willing to try to accomplish anything. You have to look forward to open spaces... good folk, and have a love for the outdoors. You can appreciate a good crop and be a gentleman. You don't worry about fashion, money, or anything that doesn't make your life in the country the best day yet... You long to get out of the city and look forward to the opportunity to fix a fence and see your work at the end of the day. They don't get much better than a country boy, I'd take one on my team any day."

Author unknown...

Taking the boy out of the country

It's true, you can take the boy out of the country but you can't take the country out of the boy. I have to admit, I still get excited when I see camo, cowboy boots, open fields, and pick up trucks. I honestly think it's just born in some people. I have a good friend from New Jersey, he was born and raised there but he is country at heart. He came out West to go to school and the country stuck in him. He fell in love with open spaces, guns, the outdoors and just getting things done country style. He now lives in Virginia and has 3 acres and lives a total country life. He's an engineer by day but a country boy by night.

I'm the opposite, I grew up in the country, I ran around with a .22 and barefoot shooting rabbits skunks and all kinds of birds from the time I was 10. I now live in Salt Lake City. I drive around on freeways, I'm surrounded by a couple of million people and talk investment banking all day... but I can't get it out of my system, every time I get away from the country and see the sleepy fields, cows grazing, farmers fixing fences... I just can't wait to get back there. Yep, they took the boy out of the country but they'll never take the country out of the boy.

Welcome to Country Boy Living aka CBL

So what is CBL? It is a blog and website (www.countryboyliving.com)discussing the finer things of living life like a country boy. For example... what do you do when you get bored? a- play a video game b- watch a totally awesome action movie c- clean your guns or d- go out and look for some kind of adventure in the country. Well the answer could be all three but that depends on you. What kind of country boy are you? How do you live your life? I'm going to use my Country Boy lens to discuss these topics and many others. Does a country boy mean you are an uneducated redneck? Absolutely not, what it means is you have an attitude towards things: quick to smile, easy to please, but work really hard and just get the job done! Hope you all enjoy Country Boy Living, and check the website... good times will be had by all!

Ryan