Life never ceases to amaze me. Just when I think boredom has hit a new, all time low, another spicy adventure awaits. Life is brimming with amazing people all having their own history, but this story is rather unique and specific to my interests. It all began at Papa’s Old Bar and Grill on a chilly high desert Saturday night. After saying a final Goodbye to Miss Firecracker in Papa’s parking lot, just two nights prior, I returned there looking for something different. Something mysterious and haunting, like the legendary ghosts that flow from this place. I didn’t know what I was looking for, but there I was again, expecting some kind of something.
Choosing to eat outside, I took the table covered with the least debris. In the lands of the desert winds, one cannot expect things to remain clean for very long. Even with the most diligent waitresses, dust and debris quickly cover tables and chairs. It appeared it had been quite awhile since the surfaces had been properly cleaned, but being outside made that okay. I was the only customer, and after a full and busy day, I settled down to look at my phone a bit.
It was then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw two HUGE men come outside to enjoy the fresh air. They were rough looking types that were bigger than life. At least 6’5″ and 300+ pounds each, they displayed massive arms of tattooed flesh. The younger of the two had gone a step further and tattooed his head and neck, as well. To say they were intimidating in appearance would be putting it mildly.
“My dad was a Navy Seal…….” was all it took. I had to look and smile, triggering a conversation with the younger of the two. He happened to be the one with the shaved and tattooed skull. As he approached our table, he grew larger and more intimidating, although his eyes said something different. There was a melancholy approachability in the way he looked at me. A gentle giant, although different than most with which I would strike up a conversation on a random Saturday night.
After a brief exchange, he asked if I’d seen the movie, “The Mustang”. He had my complete and undivided attention. In 2016, VST and I hadn’t been in the area that long, when it was announced there would be a movie filmed about the local prison and the Mustang and Inmate program there. Four times a year, there’s a sale at the prison. If you attend, you can’t wear blue jeans, as those are reserved attire for the inmates only. If you bring your horse trailer, you can buy a formally wild mustang, tamed and trained by an inmate. For years, I’ve wanted to go to a sale just to watch, being fascinated that the training occurs in 90 days. Hard to tell who needs gentling more, the horse or the inmate. These trained horses are purchased by all kinds of people, from law enforcement to ranchers. The bidding starts at $150. The proceeds support this valuable program.
Years ago, I’d begged VST. Really begged him to visit the prison on sale day. But, he was never in the mood to go sit in the sun and watch a horse sale. Maybe a little afraid that I might bid and become the owner of a mustang. So, we never went.
I’ve only met one trained mustang on a first name basis. His name was Rico and he was almost 28. It’s all in the eyes with me. Rico had given up his freedom to take a job settling trail horses that were not as sound as he. At 28, he was a stunning version of timeless beauty. As I said, it’s all in the eyes. This man standing before me had the eyes of a mustang. Until you look into those kind of eyes, there are not proper words to explain. Some wild things can be gentled, and some can’t. That goes for people, too.
Back to Papa’s that night, the mountain of a young man standing next to me said, “The movie was written about me. It’s my story. I had a part in the movie, but, the story is mine.”
My first thought was, “Sure it was. Sure you did.” How did he sense the huge interest I had in this project? And that it was on my list of movies to watch? And that I loved the entire thought of inmates settling these horses, while both benefited. How did he know? He could have been the subject of 100 movies. But, he wasn’t. He was the subject of “The Mustang”. The one that held my interest.
Quick as a cricket, he had out his phone and this man in front of me was talking on his phone screen at a Red Carpet interview in Hollywood on opening night. There he was, just as soft spoken and unassuming as he was in my presence. I was speechless as I listened to the interview.
He went on to show me pictures with Bruce Dern and some of the other cast members, while he kept talking about the story. He raised 26 horses while at the prison, each taking 90 days to gentle and finish. Three went to New Zealand, many went to police departments, and others just went to good homes. Polite, quiet, and reserved, the man who told his story had been through bad times and done terrible things. But, somehow, through the experience, life had forged him into someone new. The gift of time and the spirits of those 26 mustangs had taught him a thing or two about inner growth.
He talked of twenty acres he had just purchased in Oregon, just right for his new home. A prideful wild-fire fighter, he had returned to the area to visit friends. Through our conversation, gumption and determination shown through as he talked to me. Not anger. Not bitterness. Just a story told well about a young man that, in a split second, made a very terrible decision. His story.
If you want to watch a really good movie, see “The Mustang”. You’ll get a good visual of the Northwestern Nevada Desert in which I live. You’ll get a feel for the mustangs I’m so lucky to share the land with. You’ll see their magnificent power and their unnerving ability to understand the human condition. It may make you cry, while surely being interesting food for thought.
You just never know what stories people have to tell. With a quick Hello, someone can touch your life with quiet words and a well told tale. Every cover doesn’t tell the true story of the book waiting inside. I’m glad this was a safe and sane guy I was lucky enough to meet. I wish him all the best in his search for his own quiet paradise in Oregon.