One of our family Jackson Hole/Teton traditions has been to visit the Bar-J Wrangler Chuckwagon dinner. As I sat listening to the music after the meal concluded and having read a significant portion of DeTocqueville's "Democracy in America" I realized suddenly where the strength of America truly lies. Under that awning, people from states we've never visited come together to share in the legacy of the American west, having put away any rivalries and competitions for an evening of fun, food and frolic.
In the days of the Old West, the cowboys would gather at the end of the day around the Chuckwagon. Here, they would brag of the day, of past cattle drives, play music, and enjoy a community of brotherhood born of their common employ regardless of their past. DeTocqueville talked about how America benefits from a wilderness in that it brings people together for survival, even when we are at peace. That cowboy spirit of togetherness binds Americans together, such that when you pick on one of us it's tantamount to picking a fight with every one of us.
Now, from time to time overseas, I feel embarrassed at the behavior and demeanor of my countrymen, but when we converse, we are friends for no other reason than our common citizenry. Strangers at first, we, like in all our common provocations, come together for a common cause. I've had Americans offer to buy me a meal in Europe for no other reason than the chance to converse with a "friend" abroad.
Unlike any other country, America was born for freedom. The chuckwagon culture of the west embodies that concept of freedom- on the range, unbounded, unchecked. Everyone who lived a cowboy's life chose it; they did it because they loved it. Americans believe in the things they do. I appreciate this small glimpse into yesteryear and wish I could truly understand and empathize with that way of life, not because I want to hug trees or go back to nature, but because I envy that band of brothers.
The strength of America lies not in its bristling seacoasts but around the hearth and campfire.
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