Amarillo Sky

When I was at the Bull Riding competition with Sho last month we discussed the hit country song "Amarillo Sky" by newcomer Jason Aldean. At the time I had only recently heard it and didn't think much of it. Sho told me I should pay attention to the lyrics. Jason is describing the plight of the American farmer. Times are tough for farm owners. They always have been, but nowadays its even more so. As the lyrics state, "diesel's worth the price of gold. And it's the cheapest grain he's ever sold. But he's still holding on". The part that really gets me is the chorus which tells the story of the hardship the farmer endures and the committment that he has to his land. Jason sings, "He just takes the tractor another round. And pulls the plow across the ground. And sends up another prayer. He says Lord I never complain, I never ask why, But please don't let my dream run dry." These men and women work long hours sometimes to no avail. There could be an Act of God like a tornado or a drought and their year's income will be gone. But c'est la vie, that's life. Thats how their fathers and grandfathers lived their lives. My heart goes out to these brave Americans. I've always known the sacrifices these family farms made, but Jason Aldean's song and especially his video put faces to the stories.

Additionally I was reading an article in the NY Times this morning about the scarcity of veterinarians for farm animals. Farmers are losing livestock during routine deliveries because theres no doctor around in case of difficult labors. Most of the vets admitted to being drawn away from farms because caring for small domestic pets is much better business. It doesn't pay for farmers to spend money on expensive surgeries, when on the other hand people like my Mom and Dad would be happy to dole out the big bucks to make sure Muffy the Maltese is kept perfectly healthy.

This is the video for the song and opens with some of the young men who live this life telling their stories. Its poignant. Check it out: