Do you know what song I have stuck in my head?

Where have all the cowboys gone? By the one and only Paula Cole.

I don't know why she's the one and only, but that's the song stuck in my head and it makes absolutely no sense! I haven't heard that song in like five years at least. Don't get me wrong, I am a HUGE 90's fan, and would choose to listen to 90's music all of the time... But really? That's the song in my head? No Ace of Base, or Salt N Pepper? Paula Cole?

Maybe it's because it's not just a song, but a philosophical question.

Where have all of the cowboys gone?

With their big ten gallon hats, tight Levis, huge belt buckles and boots with the spurs(As opposed to Boots with the Fur for all of you Nelly Fans). And I think it's more than just the look, I think Paula(Cole, not Dean, although by her accent she just might have herself a cowboy.) was asking a deeper question. Where is the chivalry? The work ethic? The Out Doors Man? The man who can fix anything and will work hard until it is fixed and fixed right? The man in tight jeans yes, but the manly tight jeans, not the effeminate and gayish skinny jean? Where is the original American Bad Ass? Hmmm?

And it's more than an accent. I mean we're not talking about Larry the Cable Guy here, except to ask this question: Where did his accent come from? He's from Nebraska and I have never met anyone in Nebraska with that stupid of an accent! Or that white trash. Really? Ok, go get famous by exploiting stereotypes that don't even exist here and then brand us as hill billy's and red necks just because you happen to be one? Yea, no thank you.

Don't get me wrong, Zach is perfection for me. My other half. The love of my life and blah blah blah. I'm not talking about him! I'm talking about all of the dirt bags that knocked up my friends and then left them either emotionally or physically abused(Equally as bad in my opinion.) and with a child to raise on their own! And even though, I totally think they and their children are better off without some dead beat dad who's going to abuse their mother and give them a shining example on how not to treat a woman, it is still a terrible situation.

And also, please don't take me as some bitter and angry feminist ragging on the male sex. Because I'm not that either. I just wonder where this idea of a "cowboy" went? Most girls are attracted to the bad boy, that's not going to change. But what happened to the bad boys that still had manners and still practiced chivalry?

Yea, I'm not talking about the saggy pants wearing, dirty mouth using, lazy POS. I'm talking about the man that gets up before the sun to work hard and provide for his family, the man that uses a belt and even though he might where a ginormous hat he still takes it off at the dinner table.

I'm talking about the Marlborough Man, not some cheap, knock off from the Hannah Montana Movie.

As a disclaimer, I have seen lots of guys worthy of this stereotype, including my own Dirty Harry(Really? That's the analogy I used? Dirty Harry? Sorry, it's the only Cowboy I could think of right now.....) and ok, I do believe the "Cowboy" is still out there, but it's in his absence that we notice the most.

And that's also where we hurt the most.

That was totally Not where I was intending to go today. Sorry for the angry dialogue. To defend my argument, I just had a dear friend leave, or rather run away from an abusive boyfriend who she just had a child with. He first controlled her, then he abused her emotionally, and then physically and when she tried to leave, he kidnapped the child and ran away. She deserves better and that baby girl deserves better. I'm so incredibly thankful that she was finally able to leave and that she and her baby are safe now.

And now that we are all singing the song in our head, angry at men and angry at me for putting the tune in your mind, let me leave you with this....

Yippy-I, Yippy-A, Yippy-I, Yippy-A.