A couple of weeks ago, I attended the Michigan Horse Expo in East Lansing, to promote and sell my memoir. I wasn't sure what to expect, having never been to such an event before.
What I discovered was what I call the "Harley Effect"—the wide range of people, from farmers to lawyers and every profession in between, who act perfectly normal until they buy a Harley Davidson motorcycle. At that point, they become weekend bad asses who don dew rags and leather chaps with long, shiny strips that flap in the wind.
Like Clark Kent, emerging from the phone booth transformed into Superman, once these everyday businesspeople put on their black leather jackets adorned with Harley logos to match their square-toed boots with large buckles wrapped around the ankles, they become weekend Hog riders that travel from bar to bar in large packs.
I prefer not to dress in a way to draw attention to myself. My usual attire consists of denim jeans, a button shirt with minimal flamboyancy, no cap or jewelry, and shoes or boots that are comfortable. Prior to leaving for East Lansing, my wife and a friend who attended the trade show with me warned me that I should wear a cowboy hat, or at the very least, a vest.
Keep in mind, Michigan has had a long-lasting and brutally cold winter, so I wore a pair of insulated tan pants instead of blue jeans and a long-sleeved undershirt for warmth. I was comfortable in my choice of clothing.
But when thousands of people began showing up dressed like good ole" Western cowboys and cowgirls, scuffing their freshly shined boots in the dirt—I soon felt out of place. Underdressed for the occasion.
I was afraid I wouldn't have anything in common with them, but they turned out to be some of the nicest people I have ever met. Many stopped by the booth just to say hi. Many laughed at the title of my book, Broken Rib Ranch. Some shared their own stories about when they'd broken a rib (or two).
Overall, I had a great time, and have decided to attend the 19th Annual Equine Affaire in Columbus, Ohio, which is coming up in April. As a reminder, I have already written myself a note: "Need to buy a cowboy hat, get my boots shined, and find a leather vest."
Hope to see y'all there!
Tim Parsel
Friday, April 18, 2014
Monday, April 14, 2014
Review of "Broken Rib Ranch, a memoir" by Timothy Parsel
When Timothy Parsel was in grade school, his English teacher tried to convince him to pursue a career in writing. And it's easy to see why, Parsel—whose day job is that of a professional truck driver—has a clear, confident writing style that is by turns humorous and sincere. He also never fails to entertain.
Broken Rib Ranch is a touching and informative memoir of his life married to a woman whose obsessive love of horses causes the couple's lives to increasingly revolve around the care and keeping of an ever growing herd on their eighty acre spread near the rural Michigan town of Charlevoix.
Experienced horse people and horse novice alike will recognize and revel in the many ups and downs of horse ownership and the trials of maintaining a large farm in a harsh climate. Who knew horses had personalities as varied and intricate as our own? Probably all "horse people," but it will be news to many others.
In many ways, however, Parsel's story is as much about his marriage as it is about raising horses. He details their courtship, which began at a local car dealership where he and his future wife were employed in their younger years. Parsel is a one-woman man, and it is always clear that, despite the good-natured ribbing his wife receives in the story's telling, he is devoted to her above all else, even when her herd of horses reaches unmanageable proportions. Another man might have called a divorce attorney as the amount of work involved in keeping seventeen horses gets out of hand, pushing him to the edge, but not Parsel. He is in for the long-haul, and it is enlightening to watch the dynamics of the couple's marriage in gear as they slowly bring the headcount down.
In the end, Broken Rib Ranch is an engaging portrait of two people in love. Stretched to the limits of their capabilities by the realities and day-to-day drudgery of raising horses, the couple's resilient bond is a testament to their powerful love, for each other and for their horses.
Review by John Casey
Published Freelance Writer, New York
Broken Rib Ranch is a touching and informative memoir of his life married to a woman whose obsessive love of horses causes the couple's lives to increasingly revolve around the care and keeping of an ever growing herd on their eighty acre spread near the rural Michigan town of Charlevoix.
Experienced horse people and horse novice alike will recognize and revel in the many ups and downs of horse ownership and the trials of maintaining a large farm in a harsh climate. Who knew horses had personalities as varied and intricate as our own? Probably all "horse people," but it will be news to many others.
In many ways, however, Parsel's story is as much about his marriage as it is about raising horses. He details their courtship, which began at a local car dealership where he and his future wife were employed in their younger years. Parsel is a one-woman man, and it is always clear that, despite the good-natured ribbing his wife receives in the story's telling, he is devoted to her above all else, even when her herd of horses reaches unmanageable proportions. Another man might have called a divorce attorney as the amount of work involved in keeping seventeen horses gets out of hand, pushing him to the edge, but not Parsel. He is in for the long-haul, and it is enlightening to watch the dynamics of the couple's marriage in gear as they slowly bring the headcount down.
In the end, Broken Rib Ranch is an engaging portrait of two people in love. Stretched to the limits of their capabilities by the realities and day-to-day drudgery of raising horses, the couple's resilient bond is a testament to their powerful love, for each other and for their horses.
Review by John Casey
Published Freelance Writer, New York
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