Most of my adult life was lived in the wild west—Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota. These are places where the cowboy mystique is ubiquitous. John Wayne’s ghost lurks about every historical marker—places where Indians lived and cavalry rode. In 1977, I conducted a funeral for a man who had ridden on horseback all the way from Texas to Montana as part of the crew for one of the last cross-country cattle drives of the old era, circa 1906.
Many western folks are rugged individualists. Just give ‘em a home where the buffalo roam, and leave them alone. I confess that I embraced the romance of the west when I lived there. Yes, I wore a cowboy hat! That is, until it went floating down the Yellowstone River after I slipped on a rock while trout fishing. I have “cowboyed up” by participating in round ups and brandings. I owned a horse for a short time. His name was “Keno”. I even threw a few loops as a team roper just for fun.
The problem with all this is that rugged individualism is a dysfunctional way to live. It requires emotional detachment, repressed feelings, anti-social behaviors, pride and selfishness to be carried out successfully. The lonely cowboy romanticized in the paintings is lonely because he has few friends, is estranged from his family, and would rather be with cows than people.
As a way of life the cowboy mystique is fading into history. The modern replacement for it is suburbia. Just give me a home behind a fence with a well manicured lawn where a machine will answer my phone while I hide in front of my TV. This, too, I have learned is a dysfunctional way to live. And just as the old cowboys are a dying breed, so will the disengaged suburbanite fade into history. We live in an ever more crowded global village and we must learn how to be neighborly. We must become more and more our brothers’ keeper. Those of us who might prefer the good old days are going to have to grow up and get involved. Jesus’ words are becoming crystal clear... love God, love people, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the sick, seek justice for the oppressed, and do good to those who mistreat you. Individualism must yield to community.
2 comments:
It is one of the unresolved tensions of life; what could be strength of character when exhibited in one context can be disastrous (dysfunctional)in another. The Marlboro man is still with us, even if no longer glorified in television commercials. The strength of America (cowboy individualism and "Don't tread on me!" independence)is also our weakness, and that can sometimes also be witnessed in our relations with other countries(neighbors). Do we still need some cowboys for certain situations, but ones who also know when and how to also sit at the table and interact? Got to dismount and hitch my horse to the gas grill.
You sure have all the political correct clichés down pat. I see those as a dominating force in taking our nation to places we should not go and that is seeing things for what they are and not disguising them so we don’t offend someone especially those involved in disguising their whole lives masquerading as something else in an attempt to fool the majority and get their liberal ways.
Give me the grass roots guy every time. He has values worth something. Our friend President George W. Bush is one of those who leads with his rock solid convictions regardless of what his liberal opponent’s openly preach to the liberal media on CBS, CNN, NBC and ABC.
Your last sentence was a tip off. Not the penultimate, but the last. Hello Hillary!
Steve, I am concerned about you. You are so far out in “left” field you will have to buy a ticket to get back into the game.
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