Rocky Creek Ranch in Briggs, Texas - 10 men gathered around each other to explore hundreds of acres with hopes of finding a wild hog... or was it maybe more they were looking for?
Collin Cottrell, owner of High Caliber Hunts, is on a mission to bring men together in pursuit of, not only a successful hunt, but to forge new bonds between them. With first hand experience and the absolute privilege to cook for he and his entourage of hunters, I can confidently state that he exceeded that mission this past weekend.
It's clear to me that men have quite a few struggles, but the most difficult ones typically go unspoken of, and in some cases, unnoticed. From the first night, we began talking about things that brought out a surge of support and understanding from everyone standing around the fire. The phrase "man, I feel you" was spoken often and there were moments of discomfort... but Collin has a way of easing that with his words and the overall premise of what High Caliber Hunts represents.
I was honored to cook for these men. I was honored to share the struggles with them. I was honored they trusted me enough to open up and share personal things. This brought forth introspection and reflection and a declare of sorts. If a man can bring men together around hunting and foster a space and opportunity for them to release the pressures of day to day, then a man who cooks barbecue can do the same. In fact, I find it a responsibility of mine now because I am aware. Men need a hand up sometimes. Men need someone to be shoulder to shoulder with... it's who we are. To quote (for the 100th time this week) an author named Lionel Tiger who wrote "Men in Groups" - and I am paraphrasing - Men need bonding. In order to bond, there must be trust between men and in order for trust to be gained, they must aggress something together as a unit; fight towards completion of something important to them as a team.
And so... my work begins.
