Why Our Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys

My teenage grandson’s birthday is fast approaching, and while I have some gifts for him, I find myself wanting to share so much more than material items wrapped in colorful paper. He is a fine young man, yet I know he will be tested many times before his brain fully matures – which scientists now say doesn’t happen until age twenty-five. This is why it is vitally important that he have a solid base of ethics, morals and values that will guide him safely and successfully throughout his life.

He has a good sense of what is right and wrong, but I am acutely aware that our collective senses have been numbed by a culture that has gone off track and created an atmosphere that challenges the successful survival of America’s young people.

Many of us know that the only path to inner peace, success and true and lasting happiness comes from having conscious values that we cling to as if our lives depend upon it; which if we desire good, honorable and successful lives, they do.

People my age grew up knowing what was right and what was wrong: It was black and white and obvious. The values we learned were backed up at school, among our peers, in our communities, churches and also in a very unlikely, but very effective venue – the local movie theater via the Saturday matinees for youngsters.

Cowboy movies reached their peak of popularity in the decades between the 1940s and the 1960s. There were dozens of actors who became famous starring in what became known as “oaters.” Each movie had a plot that was simple and basic, and the good guys always wore white hats and always triumphed.

I remember Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and the Lone Ranger, so just for fun I Googled “Cowboy Code of Ethics.” Much to my surprise, there was a Web site with formal Codes of Honor for some of these cowboy stars. Basically, the Codes cover what we were taught as children: “Don’t lie, don’t cheat, don’t steal and don’t be lazy,” with emphasis on such virtues as being kind and gentle to children, the elderly and animals; respect for women, parents and our country’s laws; and to never take unfair advantage of anyone.

Obviously, the reason cowboys have been our heroes for so long is because they embody the basic values we cherish and wish were still prevalent in our nation today. It is no surprise that two of our most beloved movie stars, John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, gained fame as clean-living, straight-talking cowboys who stood for truth, justice and the American way.

This is the foundation we desire for all of America’s youth, as this will enable them to think for themselves and give them the courage to withstand the toxic messages and temptations of our current culture. We just need to make sure they are exposed to these values at home and supported in as many areas of their lives as possible.

Fortunately there are still wonderful books and stories for youngsters to read, as well as movies that embrace the same virtues and values as the cowboys of yesteryear. The challenge is that some of the characters’ names are foreign to us, and we don’t have a clue as to the values they represent.

When I mentioned a few unfamiliar names to my grandson, he assured me that although there’s not a cowboy among them; Gandalf, Frodo, Luke Skywalker, Yoda and Han Solo champion the same heroic values.
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Copyright © 2009 by Fern Stewart Welch

The author’s books: “You Can Live A Balanced Life In An Unbalanced World!” and “The Heart Knows the Way – How to Follow Your Heart to a Conscious Connection with the Divine Spirit Within” are available at Amazon.com and other online booksellers, as well as through major bookstores such as Barnes & Noble and Borders.