One of the regular jobs on a ranch or out on the range is “ridin’ fences.” Working cowboys ride the fence perimeter looking for damage, checking to see if any cows got hung up in the barbed wire or escaped, and, if needed, make repairs. It ain’t glamorous work, but like a lot of things in life, it must be done day in and day out to keep the livestock secure and the ranch in good working order.
That is what regular Americans do. They do the hard work that needs to be done to keep America secure and in good working order. Every day. Without fail. They do what needs doin’.
And they have been doing it since the beginning of the Republic, from Lexington and Concord, to Gettysburg and Iwo Jima; from building the great cities of the world, to feeding that world from the bounty produced by their sweat and toil on our farms and ranches.
For more years than I can count, I have tried to be a voice for these regular folks who do most of the heavy lifting in this country.
I live with these real people. I know who they are and I like to think I understand the values they hold dear. I don’t need a pollster or a focus group to tell me which way the wind is blowing or what these folks are thinking. I just ask them.
It’s a lot easier, and I’ll get an honest answer.
So, if you’ve got a hankering to learn more about the real America and her hard-working people, if you want to hear their stories, laugh and cry with them, and work together on fixin’ America, then saddle up, tighten your cinch and start “ridin’ fences” with me.
And if you do, I’ll bet dollars to donuts you’ll find that their stories are your stories, as well.