Being in 4-H, my daughters compete in the county fair. No county fair experience is complete without a visit to the rodeo. At a time when religious opinions are openly expressed, the political climate is tense, and kindness can be hard to come by, I was pleasantly surprised by the rodeo’s approach. Before the events started, the MC invited all attendees to join him in a prayer if they chose to. He respectfully acknowledged that prayer is not a practice for everyone. His prayer was centered around safety: safety for the athletes and animals, military and first responders, and everyone in the community affected by the nearby wildfires.
After the prayer, everyone was asked to stand for the singing of the National Anthem. Standing shoulder to shoulder as “The Star Spangled Banner” was celebrated was patriotic and unifying, not political. In those moments, we were Americans brought together by a common interest. There was no “right-wing” or “left-wing.” Animosity concerning differing opinions drifted to the rafters for a few hours.
At one point, the rodeo clown took the rodeo’s approach and chose the high road by restraining himself from making a joke that would likely not have been appreciated by all. Leaving laughter on the table for some meant gaining the respect of many. The rodeo clown’s choice kept the temperature of the audience neutral. The only dust kicked up was by the animals. There was plenty of laughter, though, especially during the Mutton Bustin’ event. Watching little kids hang on for dear life to the back of a running sheep is side-splitting funny. There’s no harm to the child or the animal, just a lot of good, clean fun.
Rodeos aren’t for everyone, but the rodeo’s approach of collective respect is an excellent philosophy to adopt in these times.
