SOBER COWBOY Drunk Driving Awareness Month- September

With drinking and driving being so preventable, we are here to spread awareness to NOT drink and drive! Check out these testimonies to hear how it affected others in the western industry. We can’t afford to lose any cowboys, let alone to something that could be avoided.

We are doing a raffle on the ‘Bucked Off Blues’ Print from Johnny at Wanna Be Cowboy Photography. Get in the raffle by donating $20 for 1 ticket, or $90 for 5 tickets! The money will be donated to a family that has been affected by drinking and driving.

If you have a story or would like to share about drinking and driving, please submit to officialsobercowboy@gmail.com!

Testimony from a friend:

Alcohol has very little place in my life. I don’t drink, and don’t spend much time with those that do. However, I’ve seen the damage alcohol can create. I worked on an ambulance and saw unimaginable scenes, all at the hands of drunk drivers. I’ve had friends severely injured, even paralyzed as a result of drunk drivers. And on December 3rd, a drunk driver took the life of someone I loved very dearly. 

Trevor was the kind of guy that truly lit up a room. He had a thousand watt smile, and an endless stream of quick witted sayings or comebacks. He was relentlessly happy. Even on the worst days, he found the good. His spirit was tangible, and being around him put you effortlessly at ease. He was steadfast in his convictions and stood for what was right. He fought for people. He was a friend to all, despite facing heartbreak and some less than fortunate times in his own life. He meant the world to me. 

I met Trevor by happenstance, passing each other on the street. He threw out a silly pickup line, which I quickly retorted back. And that was all it took. He and a friend were walking the opposite direction that I was. He turned around, walking beside me, chatting me up until I finally gave him my number. It was the first of many times I’d hear him call me darlin’. 

The first date we went on he took me to a nice restaurant, insisted on driving me rather than meeting me there, and held doors everywhere we went. He was a consummate gentleman. Conversation was easy with Trevor. He could talk to anyone about damn near anything. And not in the fake way people do just to make conversation, he asked genuine questions and listened when you spoke. He was so witty, always turning a phrase. We talked for hours that night, until it was finally time to part ways. Over time, we realized both our lives were not the most conducive to a relationship. We were often passing ships, only seeing each other once in a while when we both happened to be in town. And yet, the feelings never faltered. When we’d see each other, no time had passed. I’d look forward to texts with pictures from his hunts, and evenings spent catching up watching movies or sitting on the porch when our schedules aligned. I grew to love him, for so many reasons. He treated me how I had so longed to be treated, and I loved his big heart more than anything. While we never got to spend a great deal of time together, I felt he truly knew me, as I knew him. 

The last time I saw him, he came to my house for dinner. We ate, laughed, and spent most of the evening catching up, filing each other in on our lives. In the morning, he had to hurry off to work, insisting I stay in bed and sleep longer. He told me he left me a surprise on the counter, kissed me goodbye, and walked out the door. I found his gift and a note later that morning. Something so simple, yet meaningful to me. Another testament to how well he knew me and his thoughtfulness. Over the course of our conversations that night, we talked about our lives slowing down and that once we were both more stationary, how different things will be for us. The time we would have together, the plans we would make. The trips we would take together, and the life we would have together.

But on December 3rd, a drunk driver stripped us of those plans. Took away our future, and ended Trevor’s life. 

There are very few things I wouldn’t give in order to have one more day with him. There are so many things I feel I left unsaid, so many moments I wish I could have shared with him. Every single day, something happens I wish I could tell him about. My only comfort is knowing he is free of any pain and suffering, and that hopefully he watches over me in this life until I can see him standing before me, smiling, saying “hey darlin’” once again. 

So to whoever is reading this, please, please, don’t get behind the wheel if you’re drinking. Don’t get in the vehicle if the driver has been drinking. While it may be a momentarily uncomfortable conversation, it could save you. Don’t let a foolish choice change your life, and the lives of so many around you, permanently. 

Tell those you love, you love them. Make plans and see them through. Don’t waste a second hesitating or leaving feelings left unsaid. One of my biggest regrets is not telling Trevor the extent of the love I had for him. Don’t be burdened by these things the way I have been. Whether it’s a friend, a parent, sibling, boyfriend, girlfriend, whomever. Just tell them. Lay it out on the table. It can be gone in an instant.