Bulls, Booze, and Broken Bones: A Cowboy’s Story | Barry Brown

<p>Barry Brown is an author, cowboy, horse breaker, bull rider, and rodeo competitor to whom the nickname, “The Bionic Bull Rider” has been, I think, very fittingly applied. </p><p><br></p><p>Barry began competing as a bull rider at the tender age of 15. Despite its perils, he fell in love with the sport, in which he continued to participate (either as a competitor or a judge) for the next four decades of his life. </p><p><br></p><p>During the course of his long career, he broke just about every bone in his body.</p><p><br></p><p>Fittingly, he received the nickname, “The Bionic Bull Rider” after he underwent an unprecedented surgery to repair a fractured sternum (with which he competed, unmended, for many years). </p><p><br></p><p>I was honored to have him as a guest. </p><p><br></p><p>On a scorching hot summer day, Barry was attired in proper cowboy garb: tall black leather boots, thick denim jeans, a long-sleeve Wrangler shirt, black neckerchief, and trusty cowboy hat. As he sat there fielding silly questions from me, absorbing the heat of the hot sun, he was completely unperturbed. </p><p><br></p><p>He was as patient, stoic, thoughtful, and gentlemanly a man as I’ve had the pleasure to meet. </p><p><br></p><p>He manifested, in the best possible way, the true “Cowboy attitude” to which I’ll be working on conforming myself in the coming months. </p><p><br></p><p>In the meantime…</p><p><br></p><p>Be sure to check out my Instagram page for shorts from this and prior episodes: @danielethanfinneran <a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielethanfinneran/">https://www.instagram.com/danielethanfinneran/</a></p><p><br></p><p>Twitter: @DanielEFinneran</p><p><br></p><p>Website: finneranswake.com</p><p><br></p><p>Send emails to finneranswake@gmail.com</p><p><br></p><p>My sister project, PNEUMA, on which I put out sleep stories, meditations, mindfulness content: @pneumabydanielfinneran  </p><p><br></p><p>Pneumameditations.com</p><p><br></p><p>Be sure to subscribe to this channel if you enjoy the conversations. Shar