Mistaken For Somebody Cool



Every so often, I am mistaken for someone who does something really cool.

Once, I was carrying my upright bass to church just as the sidewalks were thick with players in the Oregon Symphony, going into the concert hall a block away. For me, being mistaken for a musician in the orchestra only works while my instrument is in its case.

However, now I have been mistaken for someone even cooler.

Summer, particularly around July 4th, is rodeo season in Oregon . My band had a July 4th gig in Prineville, which is the site of the Crooked River Roundup. I was driving to the gig with Ron, the rhythm guitar player, as we pulled into the last gas station before crossing Mt. Hood.

In Oregon, it is illegal to pump your own gas. We still have gas station attendants. As he inserts the nozzle into the tank of my car, he sees two middle-aged guys, in a car with a back seat loaded with luggage and gear all in black cases, and with my Stetson in the back window. He brightens:

"Team ropers?"

Posted: Tue - July 4, 2006 at 06:48 AM        

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