At another table, I spotted a man in a black shirt and jeans. Each time he took a sip of his beer, his rhinestone-studded belt shimmered. Or at least this is what I first thought. And those weren't rhinestones on his belt, either. It had been custom-made in California with Australian crystal from the Swarovski company.
Cowboys are simultaneously more than what they seem and exactly as simple as they look.
They can set aside cynicism for a moment and face the flag. They can dance in a line with grandmas, grandpas and young, single women, without making any of them uneasy. At 10 p.m. on weekends and on concert nights, the regulars know what's coming. When a man lacks the etiquette to remove his hat, others glare at him until he gets a clue. Ladies are exempt from the hat rule.