That’s Cowboy Logic
A Life of Necessity Develops an Insightful Outlook for Complex Issues
Cowboy logic is a time-tested, authentic, rationality concerning life, its toils, humor and pleasures, established by those who settled the American west. They lived off the land, thus, by necessity, they became brave, self-reliant, and developed an optimism that came from surviving close to nature. Each success developed confidence in their own abilities. They observed a natural blending of the good and the bad in nature and in themselves. They learned that one is happier by focusing on the good parts of living and working hard to keep the bad or ugly parts away. Cowboys had to act and react quickly. Nature has a way of overcoming those who are lazy or who procrastinate. Thus cowboys developed an ability see a complex problem and break it down to simple parts. Even today, they quickly categorize these parts as important or not. Important items fell into the “get er done” category and unimportant items turned into humor. Humor gives relief from the tough life and served to keep the young’uns interested in learning.
Don Edwards sang a song: For Them That Lean to Lonesome. One can hear it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk6ja7ywXYA I will use the lyrics of this song to help organize how this logic is applied to horses, cattle, men, our country, work, pride, and places where cowboys can still lean to lonesome and chinch up their saddles and ride. Leaning to lonesome is important, because one must first get their own house in order before they can be much help to others.
This cowboy logic generated principles sometimes called the Code of the West. Because the fundamentals of this reasoning are mostly derived from nature and the land, it’s applicable today.
I hope you enjoy this site. It is based upon my journey since 2010 to become a cowboy. My wife and I chose to do this, not to escape from a complex urban life, but rather to obtain a deeper meaning, understanding, and appreciation of it. To shed what isn’t important and to focus upon what is. We found that in the cowboy culture of our neighbors and friends and hope to share how it has changed and helped us. Maybe an insight will help you too, or at least make you laugh. I am sure this site will evolve and change as time goes on, like the landscape and the many arroyos here in New Mexico. So why cowboy logic and how does it apply today?
A question I used to ask myself was: Why do I have fond memories of my early childhood on the farm when later, as a nuclear engineer, I have earned a hundred times more and with soft hands? I believe the answer is that our family was working together to build something, without taking from, or walking on, anyone else. We all had chores and pitched in for the family (although it felt like slave labor at the time). We were optimistic that through hard work, tomorrow would get better. We socialized face to face while working, and with family and friends on the weekends and holidays. Although we were poor we never knew it, and we still had fun. TV was a source of relaxation after the work was done and not a device we revolved our lives around. Because we lived life, and saw it end daily (hunting and butchering) we knew that Hollywood was entertainment and not reality.
The goal of our upbringing was to become a person one could count on. And if you broke the rules, lying about it would be much worse than just being responsible for the rule. My parents are gone now. The passing of my mother caused me to reflect upon her, my dad, and my life’s lessons. It is my responsibility to try and pass their teaching’s and my experience on to those who can benefit from it.
I’m very concerned about what I have seen happening throughout our nation, especially since the COVID pandemic. I’ve concluded that many of the American people, (that make up our country), have lost sight of what’s necessary and meaningful, and our generosity and work ethic has been replaced by jealously and a perception that certain work is beneath us. Compared to our past, we are a very wealthy nation. The pathology of wealth is that it cannot provide necessity. Necessity is what calls the best of ourselves into being.
Throughout my life and travels, I’ve learned it is the people closest to the earth that have a better perspective on what’s important and how to get a job done. In 2014, I moved to rural New Mexico near Magdalena and opened a guest ranch, Concho Hills Guest Ranch. There, because of my ranching neighbors, I have found a renewed faith in American people. Out here the people care more about being authentic, and living by the code than they care about things. So, I believe what this county needs is some good old cowboy logic to get us, the people, back on the right track. We need to focus on what’s important and laugh at one another and not be so darn serious about ourselves.
I used to have comments turned on to have discussions. Over 95 percent of the comments were automated spam. That’s sad…I was hoping to have conversations.
Why Cowboy Logic? As the song says: “It’s all about horses, and cattle, and men, about the country, the work and the pride, and places where cowboys can still lean to lonesome and chinch up their saddles and ride.” …That’s Cowboy Logic.
