During my early years on this earth, my family would make the trek from Seibert, Colorado to Powell, Wyoming to visit my mom’s parents twice a year. It was an all day adventure starting early in the morning, driving through Denver and then heading north through Cheyenne, Wyoming. I would always hear this song ringing in my mother’s voice. “Cheyenne, Cheyenne, hop on your pony, there’s room here for two dear, and after the ceremony.” The song would end abruptly, or thats all my mom knew. It had a cute ring to the melody, and I can still hear that song in my ear even as I write the words and I wish you could hear the melody as well. You would love it (or maybe learn to hate it).
After writing the above paragraph, I decided to look up the song and found it was written in 1906. The following is a partial rendition of the song and it’s not Cheyenne, but Shy Ann as you will see why.
Way out in old Wyoming long ago, Where coyotes lurk while night winds howl and blow A cowboy’s lusty voice rang out “Hello” And echoed through the valley down below, Then came back a maiden’s answer sweet and clear Cowboy tossed his hat up in the air Said he, “I’ve come to take you right away from here Cheyenne they say is miles away, but they’ve a preacher there” Then she just drooped her eye, she was so very shy So shy, oh my!, and then he made reply Oooh-oooh-oooh Shy Ann, shy Ann, hop on my pony There’s room here for two, Dear But after the ceremony We’ll both ride back home, Dear, as one On my pony from old Cheyenne
There is another verse, but you get the drift. I never knew there was more to the story and am going to ask my mother when I see her next. Well back to the story.
My grandpa was an irrigation farmer outside Powell and planted beets, green beans, and alfalfa for the cattle. He had this old John Deere Tractor that he would use to plow the fields and would let me get on it with him and drive it around the farm. I was never so proud when I sat on the lap of my granddad and drove that tractor. I felt so big.
Well deja vu. I took my grandson to Chatfield Gardens to look at the butterflies and farm animals. After viewing the butterflies and animals, there was a sign that pointed to a play area for kids to play. We walked down this winding path through the wooded landscape and rounded the bend to find something that brought back those memories of my childhood with my grandpa.
Here is my grandson with my wife sitting on the same kind of tractor that my grandpa had me set on his lap. Mind you, this tractor was dug in the ground and would never be able to move, but my new grandson was meeting the old and having the time of his life. It involves the simple pleasures of re-introducing the old into our lives so that we can reclaim the joys of our youth when we were young.
On this journey we will come across things that are old that remind us of when we were young. Take time to reminisce about those times as the simple pleasures can come flowing back into our lives. The key is taking time.
relationallychallenged 