"Cowboy!"

[vakkotaur]

A while ago I posted a bit on how there are different perceptions of some words than what there really ought to be. Now rillifane has pointed out this article which sums up the differing attitude about the name cowboy far more effectively than I did. The bit about the perception of frontier is also worth noting. Of course, the really important message isn't about a couple words. It's about an attitude.

Comments

[aedifica]

That's interesting (and I enjoyed the article). It made me realize that devoid of context, when I hear/read the word "cowboy" I think of someone out of a William Gibson novel....

[pharwarner.livejournal.com]

If I ever need (and I often do) an article to sum up what the US stands for, and why it is the way it is, then I'll point folks to this one. That's it. In a nutshell. Why I like the US is put down clearly in there. It feels so alive and exciting. Texas in particular. But it all does come with problems and limitations, and the 'ideal' society is a good mix of the two. In arguments, I'm often asked "Well, if you like the US so much, why don't you live there?" My answer is that I'd go immediately if I had a secure job for the rest of my life that earned me around $100,000 a year. If not, the US isn't a place I'd want to live, personally. It comes down to sheer economic interest. I have a better life here, economically and socially, if I'm below that threshold.

The word cowboy has no real negative connotation for me, anymore than the work jackaroo does. It describes a profession and a way of life. I guess living for a while in a 'frontier' situation and having daily contact with those whose job was herding cattle on horseback managed to do that to me.

As for frontier, the only nation apart from the US who had a 19th Century frontier that shaped their national psyche down to this very day is Australia. It leaves a country with many legacies, one of which is a more freedom loving society. But on the other hand, the Canadians also had a frontier in this period, and major conflict on it. It's effect on their national psyche? I'd like to find out more about that, it may invalidate what I've just said.