Distinctly Montana Magazine

OLD BROKE RANCHER BY GARY SHELTON I 'VE GOT A BIG BRONZED STATUE ON A TABLE IN MY LIV- ING ROOM. It's a reproduction of a Remington cowboy des- perately holding onto a bronco rearing onto its hind legs, while the cowboy has also just started to swing his lasso. The stat- ue's name is Bucking Bronco, but I've taken to calling him Buck. In like attitude have so many cowboys been pictured; at the mo- ment of crisis, no one there to witness but his horse. No one there to tell him good job if he succeeds, and no one to admonish him if he fails. In my old age, I've taken to talking to the statue of the cowboy. "How's the day, Buck?" I might ask. Or: "Hold on, Buck. You'll get there yet." No one speaks to Buck, named af- ter the pose his horse has struck, ex- cept me. I have been watching fairly closely for years now, ever since I bought him in a pawn shop in Miles City—probably two decades ago. In that time, he has never once re- ceived a visitor, nor moved a foot from his spot unless picked up and set elsewhere to facilitate dusting. I have gleaned from this that Buck doesn't have any family, or friends. Not even a sweetheart. Not me; I'm up to my belt buckle in people. I've got a wife, kids, stepkids, in- laws, buddies, and a handful of enemies, too. Each of these are treasures, except maybe the enemies. Take my wife, for instance, which I mean in the original sense, not the standup come- dy sense. She's a wonderful woman, and a great mother to my children. She's kind, generous and warm. She is an altogether remarkable woman, which is why she sometimes expects too much from me, a mere mor- tal and a very potentially below average one at that. She's got the memory of a steel trap, but I have the memory of one of those non-lethal humane traps that require a lot of peanut butter or cheddar, but don't work, and are probably more appropriately called "mouse feeders," therefore. So she'll frequently give me a lot of very complicated directions in long- form expository prose. Many times, I 34 D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 3 - 2 4 the Lonely Life the Lonely Life of Buck Bronco of Buck Bronco

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