This piece is “Welcome to Mars” by yours truly, Rachel McGuffin. Having been born and raised in the wild wild west of pokey ol’ Longmont, Colorado and having many kinfolk from good ol Oklahoma, I’ve know my share of cowboys, cowgirls and cowcows. I don’t think the identity of “cowboy” will ever die out. Its too deeply ingrained in their way of life and frankly, they’re just to darn stubborn. When you meet a real cowboy, you know it. He doesn’t need campy vests or a styling six shooter to prove it. (Though they can’t seem to pass up on the hat.) The visuals of an identity always change, but the values that started them stay true. So my cowboy is from the future, where cowboys still work day in and day out on the new frontier. Maybe someday in my future I’ll have the time to color this properly and add “Welcome to Mars” to the sign.
