Omayra Acevedo, Peak to Peak. I had a brief conversation with a very nice lady a few days ago. The topic of gentlemen came up and towards the end of our conversation, she asked: “Do they still exist?” Without hesitation, I replied, “I’m sure they’ve all died.” Why did I respond with such haste? Most likely due to my personal experiences. I didn’t mean anything bad by it; I was just sharing my honest opinion. No longer – or perhaps rarely – do men open car doors for women, hold doors open to let a lady in first, offer a hand in a slippery situation or show up for a first date holding a flower. 

I never asked for her name, but as she walked away, she paused, turned to me and said, “Maybe they’re all still working in family ranches and don’t have time to meet women like us.” She waved, I smiled and naturally, my hyper-creative mind spun in a whirlwind of fantasies. Before I knew it, I was at the computer writing this column. I spent some time researching ranches, cowboys, Colorado, romance and everything related. 

I discovered that cowboys (including cowgirls) originated in Mexico; originally named vaqueros (Spanish for cowboys). Throughout history, however, American cowboys and girls created a lifestyle and reputation of their own. To my dismay, I learned that the cowboys we read about in books or see in movies are made up. Real cowboys spend so much time (usually) working at ranches that they just don’t have time for love. The hopeful romantic in me believes otherwise. I just haven’t met mine yet. 

I also learned that these horseback-riding, cattle-herding, ranch dwellers are still alive and well – even here, in Colorado. Where exactly? Good question. Personally, I wouldn’t know, but apparently there are hundreds of ranches scattered throughout our colorful state. Ranches being ran by real cowboys. They include: Sundance Trail Guest Ranch, Chico Basin Ranch, C Lazy U Ranch, Bar Lazy J Guest Ranch, Devil’s Thumb Ranch Resort & Spa and over several hundred more. A lot of these ranches offer nightly, weekend or weekly get-a-ways. From horseback riding, spas, weddings, campfire sing along, hiking, dinner, etc. Maybe when I am no longer homebound, I’ll save up some pennies and spend a few days living on a ranch. 

I spoke to a couple of men in hopes of getting a better understanding of what has changed since cowboys became part of our history. They told me that it is because today’s women are more independent. To them, it seemed as if the modern female prefers to open her own door and even pick her own flowers. Having an open mind, I nodded and smirked, but all in a bit of disappointment. I will be the first to admit that I am definitely independent, extremely picky and stubborn. However, that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t mind a handsome nobleman bringing me a rose, opening a door for me or respectfully offering me a compliment. Sigh. If you do exist, cheers to you old-fashion cowboys that continue with the tradition of simple romance. 

(Originally published in the April 30, 2020, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)