Some of you may be surprised to learn this rather obscure fact about me, and others maybe not so much. I love to watch westerns, yep, I do. And my favorites are the old ones starring John Wayne or Henry Fonda. But I also love, love, love Sam Elliott in Tombstone, and Dances With Wolves starring Kevin Costner is my favorite movie of all time ... well, it's a three-way tie between DWW and Fried Green Tomatoes and Steel Magnolias. I don't really know why I've always been such a big fan of westerns, but I am ... there's just nothing better than a good old cowboy movie, especially on a cold snowy night or a rainy Sunday afternoon.
It seems like most of the older westerns have at least one scene in common, one bit of storyline that is depicted in almost every movie ... the circling of the wagons. I'm always amazed at how the pioneers set out and traveled such great distances and over such tough terrain (ever driven through the mountains of Colorado and tried to imagine making that trip in a covered wagon?) in the hope of securing a better future for their families. I've come to notice through my years of movie watching that there are two basic times the leader of the group of travelers calls for the wagons to be circled ... for protection and safety as the folks bed down for the night, and when the need arises to defend themselves against an attacking enemy.
More than a bit interesting to me is that the settlers of pioneer days knew and understood the value and importance of gathering their wagons into a circle ... they got the whole concept of "together, we stand; divided, we fall" in a big, huge, gigantic way. With their wagons gathered in a circle at night with a huge fire roaring in the middle of the circle, wild animals kept their distance, children didn't wander off, and there was a level of sharing and camaraderie that was impossible to achieve during the daylight hours as they traveled and attended to the tasks of the day. Drawing their wagons into a circle to fend off attacking enemies gave them the advantage of an unbroken ring of defense, offered a certain amount of camouflage for the women and children, and created an encompassing view of their attackers. Those early pioneers got it ... they really got it.
I think sometimes about the groups people travel together in today ... groups of workers in a workplace, groups of students in a school, groups of believers in a church ... and how very different their outlook on life is than that of the pioneers. The "circle the wagons" cry of days gone by has given way in many cases to an "every man for himself" mentality. The busyness of life or the pursuit of wealth or power or prestige dictates that people have little time or desire to circle their wagons with others ... whether for protection or safety or defense ... the society in which we live fosters and promotes an "I'm taking care of my own wagon, and you take care of yours" attitude.
Recently, I penned a blog called "Judgment Call" about ... go figure ... judging others. Because of some of the messages I received concerning that post, I'm sure that some who read today's entry will toss it into the same category as "Judgment Call." So ... I feel the need to offer up a disclaimer of sorts about my wagon circling musings ... this is not a post about any one group; it's not about a certain place of employment, a certain school, or a certain church. It's not about any specific person or group of people ... it's about all of us, myself included, and how much our thinking and our view of community has changed with the passing of time and the new rules of engagement of today's world.
It seems only fitting to end this post with words far wiser than any I could ever write. Words that are far more than just a suggestion that we circle our wagons ... words that are truth ... words that are living and active ... words that can change outlooks, mentalities, lives.
"Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart." Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12.
1 comment:
it is definitely true! the times we live in do not promote community nearly as much as they used to. too much electronic influence perhaps? :)
busy-ness is a topic that fascinates me. it is astounding to me that our society promotes it so, makes one feel lesser the less busy s/he is. we definitely need to go counter-culture onthis one. :)
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