My family has the blessing of having a very talented writer in the family. His name is Elmer Kelton, and he writes western novels and narratives. He has won dozens of awards over his lifetime for his writing. He has also written for the Livestock Weekly and the San Angelo Standard Times. Most of Elmer's material comes from our family and the time he has spent in the world of the cowboy. The real cowboy...the kind of person who lived true to his word and knew how to put in a full day's work. It is fun for us, as his family, to read his stories and know that this is our heritage. Living in the middle of the Metroplex sometimes feels about as far away from my roots as I can get, but you really never leave your roots behind, do you? They're always a part of you. So, if you have the time, check out the cover story on this month's edition of Texas Monthly...Elmer titled it "True Grit". Here's a small excerpt...
To me, the word “COWBOY” calls to mind a long and noble tradition of hard work and honesty. But every time I turn on the news, I hear it thrown around as a pejorative, hijacked by pundits and politicians to refer to arrogant, reckless types who go it alone and break all the rules. If any of these folks had ever spent a day with my father on the McElroy Ranch—or with the thousands of working cowboys in Texas—they might have a different idea.
There was a time when the word “cowboy” evoked respect, even envy. In ranching circles it was an honorable label that had to be earned. One proved himself worthy of it through character, deed, and skill. Many a wannabe ranch hand—like me—never acquired it. Yet regrettably, in recent times “cowboy” has come to denote rashness, a shoot-from-the-hip readiness to use force without regard to consequences—in short, a total reversal of the word’s original and true meaning.
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