The western/cowboy culture has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My dad loved cowboys and the west and, consequently, he always had a Louis L’Amour book on his nightstand. My mom’s father was a cowboy in Arkansas when he was a young man, going on to become a farmer when he got married. Artwork in my parent’s home was varied, yet Fredrick Remington and Charles Russell – staples of the western artist genre – occupied wall space all throughout. I used to love going horseback riding, too, until I fell off a seesaw onto the hard concrete slab in my early teens, landing butt first. Ouch!
No cowboy-loving home would be complete without watching John Wayne, Gene Autry and even Tom Selleck and Sam Elliott movies, either! They all rode tall in the saddle and, even when they seemed like a bad guy, they were really the good guy living their lives by the cowboy code (mostly).
Times have changed so much over the last 25 years, though, that people in most of the U.S. have no idea what a western/cowboy culture truly is. Wyomingites haven’t though. We have a firm, deeply-rooted connection to the real west, what the life of a cowboy has always entailed. And, let me tell you, it’s more than just a cowboy hat and pointy boots. It’s a mindset. It’s an attitude. It’s a valuable, wonderful, difficult life.
Gene Autry’s Cowboy Code
Gene Autry is credited with penning the Cowboy Commandments in the early 1940s. They truly define what a western cowboy life stands for. A lovely copy of this hangs on the wall in our conference room at work. I first read it about six years ago, and immediately felt an affinity with the spirit of it.
“The Cowboy must never shoot first, hit a smaller man or take unfair advantage.” This just reads ‘be the better person’ to me.
“He must never go back on his word, or a trust confided in him.” Being an honest person used to be a badge of honor. A true cowboy still considers it to be so.
“The Cowboy must always tell the truth.” Have you ever met a genuine cowboy who didn’t tell the truth? Their handshake is their word, and their word is their bond. Nowadays, it feels like most people “shake on it” while they have their fingers crossed behind their backs. Doesn’t seem very truthful to me if you’re hoping not to get caught.
“He must be gentle with children, the elderly and animals.” This is very evident in true cowboys. They will stay up all night with their sick child, treat their ailing parents with grace and dignity and sit in the barn for hours with a horse or cow that is struggling to maintain life.
“He must not advocate or possess radically or religious intolerant ideas.” Read this one very carefully. Really let the concept and intent behind it sink in. It’s pretty heavy stuff.
“He must help people in distress.” A great, and local example of the cowboy spirit was seen a few years ago in the town where I live following a tornado that devastated a subdivision on the outskirts of town. People from all across this community pitched in to help those they didn’t know, because what mattered was that their fellow human beings were struggling.
“He must be a good worker.” Being a good worker is about more than just showing up, putting in the minimum required and leaving at the end of the day. It’s about giving your absolute best every day, getting up before the sun and not coming back until the moon rises – just to get the job done. It’s about having a strong, deeply ingrained work ethic.
“He must keep himself clean in thought, speech, action, and personal habits.” This one always reminds me of part of the boy scout code, too. And having clean personal habits … well, what woman doesn’t love seeing their cowboy all spiffed up at the end of the day … wearing their shined up boots and brushed cowboy hat, smelling like a million dollars!
“He must respect women, parents, and his nation’s laws.” Respect seems to have become somewhat lost on most people these days. If you treat others with respect, no matter the situation, they are far more likely to do the same to you. When it comes to the laws of the nation, having respect for them doesn’t mean to you have to agree with all of them.
“The Cowboy is a patriot.” I love this one. I’ve had the privilege of working with several military veterans over the years. Their willingness to put their own lives in danger to defend a country they love so much is just … well … humbling. Being a patriot means you are someone who vigorously supports your country. You don’t necessarily need to be on the front lines of a battlefield to be a patriot. Women rolling bandages in support of their troops during World War I were patriots!
Not just for cowboys
These codes to live by aren’t just for cowboys. At least they shouldn’t be. Everyone, everywhere, should take a good hard look at themselves and adjust their attitudes and actions toward others. And, if you don’t mind my saying so, cowboys aren’t just of the male persuasion.
Being a cowboy is an attitude, a mindset, a way of life, a spirit deep within you that drives your daily interactions with the world around you. It has absolutely nothing to do with gender. Never has. If you don’t believe me, you need to brush up on your history of the old west. Women were just as big a part of it as the men. Side by side, men and women were herding cattle, shearing sheep, raising crops and tending to their families. The men and women of the old west had great respect for their nation, helped others in distress, they lived the cowboy code (even before Gene Autry wrote it down!).
I can’t wear cowboy boots and don’t own a cowboy hat, but I definitely have the cowboy/western spirit. My word is my bond, I have great respect for this nation even when I disagree with its leaders and decisions, I work hard and respect those around me. Let’s all take a look at how we can help reinforce our cowboy/western culture. We are Wyoming. We are a great part of this nations’ history. We are cowboys.
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