The Story of the Quiet Cowboy

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Connecting changes everything. AT&T. See AT&T.com slash iPhone for details about the guarantee trade-in promo for new and existing customers. Available for a limited time. Terms and restrictions apply. Abusers in Hollywood are as old as the Hollywood sign itself. Underneath it lies a shroud of mystery. From Variety, Hollywood's number one entertainment news source and iHeart podcast, comes Variety Confidential. I'm your host, Tracy Patton, and in season one, we'll focus on the secret history of the casting couch. So join us as we navigate the tangled web of Hollywood's secret history of sex, money, and murder. Subscribe now to Variety Confidential, wherever you get your podcasts. Today we're going to hear from author J.D.

Winninger. He'll be sharing part of a story he wrote called The Quiet Cowboy. One morning, noticing the brand on the vest, he quizzically looked at me. You got a ranch? When I affirmed I indeed had a small ranch, his eyes lit up. I grew up in Picton over by Como. Smiling, I replied, I didn't know that. That's great cattle country over there, and good hay too.

Then, with a broad smile, he looked up. My daddy brothers and me worked in them hay fields 14 hours a day years ago. Ooh wee, that was hard work. But hard work makes you healthy.

I'd make almost $30 a day. From there, the Roots of Friendship grew. As we grew more comfortable with one another, I invited him to Life Group. He shared he didn't drive, and he wasn't comfortable walking the streets after dark. I promised we'd carry him home, and he agreed to join us. When I learned where my new friend John lived, it broke my heart. It seemed prejudice and persecution displaced him, and he was most grateful that a nearby church offered him a dry place to sleep and others a shower now and again.

With no bathroom facilities and winter coming on, God placed a burden on my family's heart to do more. It took some convincing him, but Mr. John is the newest resident at our Cross W Ranch. As I'm getting to know my ranch foreman better each day, I'm learning more from him than he is from me. With the nod of his head, he states, matter of fact, we're burning daylight.

As he sits down beside me, I think to myself, this fella doesn't talk much, but he sure is a good worker. After early morning chores, feeding, watering, and herd checks, he glances my way. Time to feed them critters, and off we go to feed Bubba and the barn kitties. Following the pat on the head and straightening Bubba's rugs, it's time for our breakfast. He pours his coffee in silence. How do you want your eggs, Mr. John?

Scramble, please. A brief reply is his usual response. Oh, sometimes he'll talk your ear off. I was a pretty good dairyman in my youth.

I could work a hundred foot straight A, a type of dairy barn, by myself before sunrise. He isn't bragging, but remembering his strong work ethic as a young man. That same spirit flows through him today, tempered with age and seasoned with wisdom from a lifetime of lessons.

He's quick to remind me. I wasn't always responsible, though. I quit my dairy job. Not because I didn't love working with them old cows, but because I wouldn't fear the them or my boss. They deserve someone more responsible than I became.

I thought, I wish we could all be that honest with ourselves. He's cleaned up the old bunkhouse, and he's made himself a great apartment. Mr. John is an answer to prayers to help around the house. I've never seen the barn, garage, workshop and bunkhouse so sparkling and clean.

Neither is my Miss Diane, much to my chagrin. Together, we tackle all the chores that need doing around the ranch. I love his work ethic, attention to detail, and can-do attitude.

It's been years since being blessed to work with a self-starter who not only thinks for themselves, but does every task with skill, precision, and professionalism. Our cattle and other livestock adjusted to him quickly as he exhibits the same calm, easygoing nature I handle them with. When I glance over to check on him while we're doing separate tasks, I see a mixture of joy and satisfaction on his face. When we're not working, he keeps to himself. On sunny days, I'll find him sitting outside in the sun, reflecting upon life. At other times, I find him listening to music, reading his Bible, or reviewing his Sunday school lesson. He wanders out to the barn or pasture to check on things every afternoon. I find him out there offering a treat to Maverick the bull or visiting the donkeys. There's such a peace about him when he's outside in God's country, as he likes to call it.

I can't tell you how many times he has said, I never dreamed I could ever do this again. When you find him sitting alone with the animals, he seems to look into the distance, pensive, contemplative, as if he's reconciling his life. I sometimes wonder if he's thinking about the past, thanking God for the present, or wondering about the future. Perhaps it's all those things, but John is quick to tell you.

There's a reason the rearview mirror is so small and the front window is so big. Watching him hold a newborn calf, cradle its head in his hands as he reaches down to nuzzle its nose and softly talk to it, his gentle soul is on full display. Surely, God is redeeming his years. Since hiring on here at Cross W, Mr. John has not only made my life easier, he's brought an infectious, childlike joy of discovery into our everyday. The way he fusses over Miss D and spends time with Bandit the cat and her litter of kittens, he expresses his gentle heart in so many ways. To see his smile and hear his ooh-wee when I gave him his own wrench business card and apparel with our brand on it was priceless.

In his usual laconic manner, he clutched the shirts and muttered, I reckon I'm riding for the brand now. He is a tremendous help to me, brings joy into our home, and God's blessings keep pouring in. As is often the case, I suppose, the mentor can end up being the one who learns the most. And a beautiful job on the production by Madison Darracott and a special thanks to J.D. Winninger sharing the story of Mr. John, a.k.a. the Quiet Cowboy. The fellow doesn't talk too much, J.D. said of Mr. John, but he sure is a worker. By the way, to read more of this story and others, go to jdwininger.com. The story of the Quiet Cowboy here on Our American Stories. Hello, it is Ryan, and we could all use an extra bright spot in our day, couldn't we?

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18 plus. Abusers in Hollywood are as old as the Hollywood sign itself. Underneath it lies a shroud of mystery. From Variety, Hollywood's number one entertainment news source and iHeart podcast, comes Variety Confidential. I'm your host, Tracy Patton, and in season one, we'll focus on the secret history of the casting couch.

So join us as we navigate the tangled web of Hollywood's secret history of sex, money, and murder. Subscribe now to Variety Confidential, wherever you get your podcasts. Congratulations to the city of Bellevue, Washington. First place award winner for Innovation in Community at the 2023 Unconventional Awards presented by T-Mobile for Business. The city of Bellevue has revolutionized public safety as a leader in technological innovation to decrease road-related fatalities and injuries. In collaboration with T-Mobile 5G Solutions, Bellevue has improved the Vision Zero program, increasing real-time communications between cars, pedestrians, cyclists, and traffic infrastructure to provide early warnings on dangerous road interactions. T-Mobile for Business congratulates the city of Bellevue for their innovation and unconventional thinking.