The Grass Is Always Greener...

“Just inland from Narbonne, where the train stops for half an hour, is a village where you can buy Bob Blooming saddles and saddle soap and bridles from a man who, in his head, lives in the American Far West. He teaches cowboy-style riding: how to bring your horse to an instant standstill from a flat-out gallop. There is no practical application for this skill, unless you have it in mind to go for gallops on the British Airways runway at Perpignan airport, or impress girls at the beach.” -----Helen Stevenson, Instructions for Visitors: Life and Love in a French Town.

Somewhere in south of France, there is a man who would gladly trade places with me. He spends his time longing for the American West, grooming horses and living like the Ringo Kid. I spend my days scented with lavender, learning French and painting my western kitchen the colors of Provence. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

Ms. Stevenson obviously has never attended a rodeo. The skill of bringing a horse to an instant standstill is just one of the many skills in horse riding and cattle roping competition. I’m sure my reverse twin in Narbonne could have told her that.



John Wayne plays a character named, "The Ringo Kid" in his first talking western.