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The Cowboy

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I can tell you what this woman wants, because she's dating him: The Cowboy. He has a real day job, but he also rides in the rodeo. He grew up small-town Texas, and it's part of everything he does and is. But he's a lot more than a simple stereotype.

To me, The Cowboy is one version of The Gentleman. He knows how to work hard, be respectful and treat a lady well. He's a man's man, but he looks way better than the average man in his blue jeans. He knows how to do just about anything put in front of him: fix your garbage disposal, tell a good joke, make a good impression on the friends he knows are important to you, voice his own opinion (he likes dive bars over fancy places), call when he says he will, do his own thing and let you do yours, live the life that suits him. And he always delivers in bed. Not bad in one man!

I'm a modern woman with a traditional heart. I love shoes, dining out (though I know how to cook), being independent and need someone who gets that. He won't try to control me and isn't about to let me control him; after all, who really wants someone trying to change them or re-mold them into something else? But, I've learned, I don't want to do it all in a relationship or at home. I don't want to take the lead in everything, from work to the bedroom. There's a reason that certain fundamental aspects of gender roles have endured over the centuries. Men and women need each other but each needs to do certain things for and around the other. Finding that balance is tricky but I think it's possible.

This country-club-raised-debutante grew up with a father who is the the quintessential Gentleman. He taught me that I should be treated well, expect the best, work hard for what I want and make sure to take care of my own. Maybe it's a Southern thing, or maybe it's just me, but it'll take a strong man to handle this strong woman. I think a Cowboy could have the mettle for it.

Learn more about this author, Carrie Neal Walden.
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