Her eyes follow, reflecting a certain admiration and curiosity with his every move.

“Sigh…” she looks back at me with a smile that holds a hint of disappointment… “Damn, these Pendleton cowboys are something. Now I understand why you live so far away from your hometown,” her laughter building. “Not easy living up to Old West versions of Captain America…”

My mind wants to reply, but there’s no rebuttal. On my left, a stylish cowgirl walks by, and the melody of Ian Munsick & Cody Johnson’s song Long Live Cowgirls kicks in. I nod with appreciation and finish the remainder of my whiskey.

“Where Have All the Cowboys Gone… Do you remember that song?” She asks, looking through my photos, mesmerized by the artistry she witnessed in the arena yesterday. Her finger traces the line of the horse and cowboy fluidly, in one motion, as if they were riding in front of us.

She’s tripping back in time, more than a hundred years ago, when cowboys, buckaroos, and wranglers plied their trade. I notice her flush as she falls deeper into the myth of the stoic cowboy… an icon of the past and part of the fabric of the American West.

Little has changed in terms of their rugged image, and while the number of cowboys has dropped over the past 100 years, the spirit and cowboy logic they are known for has fortunately spread.   

“You keep referring to the stoic cowboy. What exactly is meant by this?” she asks.

“Well, cowboys focus on things they can control… and don’t waste time on things they can’t. Therefore, they seldom panic. They keep their emotions in check and have confidence in living the best life possible.” I sit, satisfied with my explanation. 

“Not bad,” she says. “Stoics concentrate on four main virtues, as do cowboys:

Wisdom: to understand the right thing to do
Courage: to act on doing the right thing
Temperance: to have self-control in action
Justice: to be honest and caring with others

https://dailystoic.com/4-stoic-virtues/

Wisdom is gained by experience. Take action and move on. Cowboys don’t waste time, especially talking… unless tequila, whiskey, or beer is involved.

“If there’s one trait to admire, it’s courage. Rooted in confidence gained by experience, courage is the ability to be wise and compassionate.”    

“You shared something similar in an earlier post on West Lake.” She pauses, finds my old post, and continues. “From compassion comes the courage to know and do the right thing. From self-discipline comes generosity – calmness in action. And from humility comes leadership, borne through honesty…” Spoken as if she was the one who taught me the philosophy of the Dao. 

“Cowboy logic, yes?”

“Do you consider yourself a stoic cowboy?” She asks, and at first, I think there will be a sharp comment to follow, but I can see this is a serious question to her. 

“You are stoic in many ways, but you wear your heart on your sleeve and get caught up in the moment more than most.  This sure isn’t the virtue of temperance as with cowboys and stoics…” 

Yep, self-control and discipline. Whereas a more stoic person may walk away and live for tomorrow… I often, unfortunately, wake up with something more than just a hangover. 

“Let’s just say I’m a work in progress…,” I answer.  

I look at the photos of steer wrestlers and agree with some of what she says. The stereotypical view of a stoic, emotionless cowboy has its flaws. Stoics are optimists, and by nature, so is the American Cowboy… why take the risks of raising cattle, moving them on a trail ride, and suffering all that comes their way?

“One of the characteristics I have is being an optimist. And the cowboys of this world are optimists – always taking a confident gamble.” I add, thinking of all the ‘cowboys’ I admire in various careers.

“Take the farmers and ranchers who believe in next year’s crop. The rodeo cowboys who believe in their next ride. And all of us who believe in the illusion of a perfect life so we can enjoy the mistakes made along the way.”   

We enjoy life when times are good, buckle down, and work hard when life throws turmoil our way ~ as it always does. Pick up the pieces and move forward.

“Let me guess your next choice of words,” she rolls her eyes. “Cowboy logic.”

It’s late, and as I drift off to dream, the cool night air mixes with my thoughts of the Pendleton cowboy: a balance between stoic and existential philosophy. Stoics use logic to make a better life; existentialists use courage to create a better life. Action, not words, is at the heart of these philosophies.

Take action and recognize the authenticity of beauty that comes with a well-lived life. With this, I dream of catching the sunrise in the wheat fields of Pendleton tomorrow.

Morning comes easy. The crisp pre-dawn breeze feels good hiking through the fields. With a quick climb up a small water tower on the outskirts of town, we lean back and enjoy the scene.

Below, the golden wheat ready for harvest sways in the light breeze. The purple sky and golden hues of the morning sun fill up the space. Life is good.

The cowboy spirit focuses on the true nature of the moment. There is never the need to attempt to control the noise of life. Control what we can, and don’t worry about the rest.

With the sun breaking over the fields, she tosses me her half-eaten apple and asks, “Do you remember when you first went to China? You lost your keys and had to go to the security bureau to get them back?”

The memory comes flashing back, a surreal experience. The expectation was that I’d have to bribe the head of security, either slip them money or a pack of cigarettes, and my keys would reappear. However, I talked with the guard for an hour instead of bribing him. 

“Ah, I remember that well.” I smile and look into her eyes.

“Your friends thought it was hilarious when you didn’t bribe the guard, relentlessly chiding you afterward, saying you’d never make it in business because you’re too honest and naive.” She looks to see my reaction.

“They were unhappy about waiting for an hour. They were not impressed even after I exclaimed that I got my keys back without a bribe and an invitation to grab a beer.”

A moment that stands out sharply in my early years in China. “Their minds were set – honesty clashed with the cutthroat business culture in China…” Her eyes reflect the moment when Gao Ling, a quiet and brilliant woman, took me aside later that night and introduced Daoism to my cowboy logic.

“Be true to yourself, and you’ll find others who think the same way.” I smile at the memory, “…and it proved true in China.”

I could be home, sitting on top of a water tower in Pendleton or the other side of the world in China or Czechia, and it wouldn’t matter. My world stays centered as long as I stay centered. 

“Take it slow, keep it simple…” I wink and laugh at my well-used mantra.  “Find good people to work with. It makes for a simple life.”

“You use the term ‘simple’ a lot,” she shakes her head. “Authentic… this is a better word. Cowboys choose to live an authentic life… not a simple one. Life is not simple.” And she leans forward to watch the sun clear the wheat fields.   

This makes sense. Life is not meant to be easy. It takes work and effort. “I agree with you. A cowboy sets an example by living an authentic life…”

“Hmmm,” she ponders this. “It is difficult to bring people to goodness with lessons, but it is easy to do so by example.”

“Wow, that’s deep… well done, especially so early in the morning.” I glance at her in mock surprise. “You just make that up?”   

“It’s Seneca, you fool.” She laughs. “You need to read more.”

The next few days are a blur of happiness. Time at home with my parents. Rediscovering my hometown with friends and family. A feeling of belonging. 

“There’s something about small-town charm. It doesn’t fit in with the global scene.” At first, I want to say it catches people off guard, this authentic lifestyle of small-town culture.

She wistfully looks around. “Maybe because people from larger cities are more attuned to the ruthless lifestyle of those places, they don’t know how to relate to small-town life.” 

“Until they come to such a place…” 

Spend time around Pendleton, drop all pretenses, and a new world opens up. Long ago, I heard a saying that still makes me smile. “When meeting people, small town folks say: everyone brings joy… some when they enter and others when they leave.” 

I pack up my bags, ready to return to Seattle and eventually back to Czechia – stepping into another world. Par for my life the past couple of decades. 

My muse? She checked out a little while ago. One thing all the stories and myths do get right: a stoic cowboy needs time alone. Everyone does.

The great stoic Seneca once said: “Nothing, to my way of thinking, is a better proof of a well-ordered mind than a man’s ability to stop just where he is and pass some time in his own company.”

And such moments are times like this. A beautiful day to sit back and find the wisdom to see where my next step will take me. 

I love to reflect on the life of the Old West and the idea of the Pendleton buckaroo I’ve held since I was young. In this modern, technological world, where my work and life are as far removed from the saddle as possible, one thing that remains a constant is the link to the cowboy way of thinking. 

My visit to my hometown was full of nostalgia; it felt good to ponder the question of where the small-town culture of the American West is moving.  

Perhaps the sole reason for coming here was to draw out my soul and reconcile my views of the world with my youthful dreams. The answer… part nostalgia, but mainly recommitting to the frame of mind of the cowboy. An existential stoic.

I understand my life is not the lifestyle of the buckaroo I dreamt of as a kid. Self-reflection has made me realize what I feel proud of is every friend I know has an appreciation of the people and community around them, no matter the circumstances.

Growing up in Pendleton, I recognize the difference between abundance and ruin for many depends upon a few inches of rain or a few degrees in temperature. Always walking on the razor’s edge, season after season. Without a stoic outlook, you’d go crazy with stress. 

Cowboy culture is not going away. Through all changes of time, buckaroos still ride and always will. The thrill of the ride… isn’t that what life is all about? 

Let’er Buck!

Many great men in history studied and practiced stoicism. A few: Marcus Aurelius, Montaigne, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, John Stuart Mill, Theodore Roosevelt… and the many cowboys we meet daily in our lives.