Angus and every other cowboy in 1880 knew the importance of patience.
A man in a hurry was often a man headed for a wreck. And if the wreck put you afoot, then you’ll remember why you can’t be in no damn hurry, man.
Checking your rigging’ takes time. If there’s a burr under your saddle, a knot in your latigo, a mispunched hole in the stirrup leathers, then it ain’t the horses’ fault when he bolts sideways just as you’re settling in. Nowadays, It could be your gas pedal’s gonna stick because you didn’t bother to pick up that little block of whatever fell off the dash. Or you had every intention of gassing up before you passed that last Chevron station, but were in too big a hurry to mess with the small stuff. And as always, you might be in too big a hurry to say the right thing, and she just gives you that look, before she storms out of the bar.
Maybe the biggest wreck of all is when you tell a quick lie, not taking the time to organize the truth in a palatable way. Then your whole damn deal blows up in your face.
The problem is the same now as it was one hundred and thirty-five years ago, back when Angus occasionally got in too big a hurry. Impatience leads to most wrecks—horse wrecks, car wrecks, family wrecks, job wrecks. The fix is patience. So, check your rigging and don’t be in no damn hurry, man.
