I Have Ran Out of Ideas for Titles but the Woocows are Plentiful

As the story goes, I have been in Wyoming now for approximately a week. The one thing that I have found to love about this place is its beauty. I’ve been a place or two in my lifetime and I would have no choice than to put this up on the list of beautiful places; probably up at the top.

Today, after getting off work, I went for a short hike to stare the Teton Range in its face. Looking out over the Willow Flats to the base of the mountains, I noticed several herds of elk roaming around and let me just say it was awesome! The sun was setting just beyond the mountains and it felt so calm. This spawned the idea to sit and relax, maybe even read a book out in the wild. I reach into my back pack and stumble upon the bible.

To change stories a touch, the past week that I have been here, something that I have noticed is come evening time when everyone is off work there is not much for employees to do considering the closest town is about 40 miles away. As young adults, most of whom are over the age of 21, it is a natural instinct to grab a drink. I however have yet to reach that valiant age, and the laws in Wyoming are rather strict. Under most circumstances, I would try many things to sneak under this law, however since I have been here, and in my recent past, drinking has not been as great a priority in my life as it once was. Anyways, while most of the employees who live in the employee village like to “loosen up” at night, I have been partaking in much personal pondering. I have been trying not to get involved in their activities, not only for the fact that I could get in large quantities of trouble but because as a Christian, underage drinking is slightly frowned upon. As much as I would like to get involved with this, each and every time I do drink the guilt overwhelms me.

 Back to where I was pulling my bible out of my pack, my reading for the day included Judges Chapter 3. Verses 1- 11 seemed pretty fitting to my situation. It is saying that the Lord tested the Israelites by putting them in a place of much temptation and seeing how well they hold up. Well they didn’t do so hot and bad things happened to them. I do not want that to be me. Soon this chapter will be renamed “Ryan Haymaker in Wyoming”. I’m not trying to say that drinking is always wrong because honestly there is a memory or two that probably wouldn’t be there if the substance wasn’t there, but at this strange and interesting time in my life, I will try my hardest to avoid the temptation.

                                                       Hope everyone is doing swimmingly! Love ya’ll, Haymaker