Last week, I played a game in my Posse Facebook group, that ended up being so much fun, I thought we could play it here as well.
If you lived in the old west, who would you be, and what would you be doing?
I decided that I would be one of those town wives who invited everyone over once a month for a quilting bee where we would get very little quilting done but would have lots of tea and conversations about books.
When everyone else chirped in, we had a wonderful variety of answers including:
- school teachers
- librarians
- innkeepers
- cafe owners
- bakers
- druggists
- nurses and doctors
- preachers’ wives
- farmers’ wives
- ranchers’ wives
- sharpshooters
- tomboy trouble-makers
- even dance hall entertainers
- and saloon barkeeps
Who would you be?
I’d be a rancher’s wife.
This would be the perfect person I’d want to be. I’m a huge animal lover, especially horses. I’d want to be like the hired hand, work on the ranch as well as my household duties.
You sound like the rugged pioneering type with plenty of grit and work ethic to spare, Tonya. Love it!
I’d be a preacher’s wife or a dance hall entertainer 🙂
Ha! Interesting dichotomy, Sabrina. Shows spunk and sass, I like it!
I’d be a man! You’d get to do so much more! But of the choices, I’d be the tomboy troublemaker…come to think of it, I was!
Somehow I’m not surprise, Laura. 🙂 You have such an adventurous spirit. No one could contain you.
I think I would be a rancher’s wife of farmer’s wife one of the two.
I think I would rather like the quiet, peaceful house away from town, too. The hard work wouldn’t be quite as fun, but being surrounded by family would make everything perfect.
I would be the wife of the two store and help in the store. I would also be an excellent shot.
Love it, Debra. You’d be at the center of everything and able to defend your own should outlaws come to town. 🙂
I would probably be a wife just like I am now. But maybe I would be a better cook.
Everything tastes better in cast iron, right? That’s what my country cooking friend Crystal always says, at least. 🙂
I have never really thought about it, but I don’t think I have ever eaten anything from a cast iron pan.
Crystal made breakfast at one of our writing retreats. The eggs and sausage were cooked in cast iron skillets and even the biscuits were baked in a specialty cast iron pan. Best breakfast I ever ate!
I’m pretty sure I’d be an Indian and I’d be making dried meat and raising my children. : )
Love that, Kay! You would look gorgeous in beaded deerskin.
Photographer
Ooo – I like it, Charlene. would you be from east, traveling through the west to capture the rugged beauty on film? Or would you be homegrown, managing your own portrait studio? So many possibilities!
I would definitely want to be married to either a rancher or a farmer. And if I were single, a school teacher or librarian would be nice.
Sounds like you’ve got all the bases covered, Sharon. 🙂
I would be a rancher’s wife.
Love it, Melanie!
I’d probably be a sign/marquee painter, and probably portraits on the side for more income (though portraits are not my favorite thing).
Ooo – I LOVE that! So unique, and a talent I do NOT possess. 🙂 I would definitely hire you.
I’d be a farmer or rancher’s wife. Maybe helping with the livestock, too. Or, I’d own my own cafe.
Maybe you could do both. You food would literally be farm-to-table fresh. 🙂
School teacher or a librarian.
Anything to stay around books, right? 🙂
I’d be a teacher since I always loved school. Of course, I’d probably be keeping an eye on the single farmers and ranchers in the community hoping one of my students had a single big brother or uncle I could meet. 🙂
You go, girl! 😉
Love it! I’m with you, Carrie!
I would be a teacher and/or librarian of the town had a library. In small towns I don’t think there would be much funding for a library. In that case, as the teacher, I would try to incorporate it with the school having library hours after the children were dismissed and for a time on Saturdays. That would make it convenient for most people.
You’re right, Patricia. Most libraries at this time were personal collections that were generously opened to allow lending of books. I think a school making their books available to others would be a wonderful idea.
First I’d come by wagon train and meet my love while traveling west. We get married by the preacher that’s traveling with the train. I’m a poor rancher’s wife and we’ll work hard together to make it a wonderful place for future generations.
Love your story, Pam! I’ve always been intrigued by those who came west in wagon trains. Such courage and endurance!
I would be a saloon owner much like Miss Kitty on Gunsmoke. But, I would hope to have better results with a love connection than she had.
Love it, Jerri! Poor Miss Kitty. She needed to whack that man over the head.
I would be a farmers wife and help raise the kids , help with the animals and tend the garden and grow vegetables and some pretty flowers.
That sounds lovely, Alicia. So peaceful!
I’ll take the librarian job as long as I don’t have to be a spinster.
I’m pretty sure Eden kept running her library even after marrying Levi in To win Her Heart. 😉 Marriage can’t stop a passion for good books!
I forgot to come to P&P yestersay. I’m sure I’d be a farmers or ranchers wife back then. Of course, if life found me single I’d be an entrepreneur and have my own small business like being a Baker.
Love that! I’ll come buy your baked goods for my tea party quilting bees. 🙂