Book Review: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Lonesome Dove is an engulfing western tale about more than just a cattle drive to Montana, which is one of the driving forces for the plot, by the way, but it is really about loneliness and regret. Woodrow Call and Augustus McCrae are two retired Texas Rangers that take the advice their old rangering buddy, Jake Spoon, tells them of the riches they could make as the first cattle ranchers in Montana, which is only three thousand miles away from their small ranch in Texas. Captain Call, as they call him, decides to take Jake's advice and amasses a three thousand-headed herd of cattle and horses and a dozen or so green cowboys, and, along with the non-stop communicator Gus, they all make their way across almost three thousand miles of a mostly unsettled and completely wild frontier. None of the men had previously been that far north and none knew of the dangers that were waiting for them.
Read MoreHero Problem
The problem with the story of Jesus and any other Hero stories is that we start looking for them in real people today. We look at famous people and categorize them as either the Hero or the Villain because we're so used to integrating stories into our thinking and communication. The truth is that real people are almost never all good or all bad. Stories try to simplify morality in a way that is easy to understand for many ages. The simplest and most effective parables are directed at children. Stories create context without requiring real turmoil and so can teach lessons "the easier way".
Read MoreA Leader and a Follower
A man named John sits in a waiting room for his interview. He is not nervous or overly enthusiastic. After a few minutes waiting in the room, John is told by the secretary that Mr. Johnson is ready to see him. She opens the door for him and as he passes her she smiles and mouths, "good luck".
Mr. Johnson: Thank you for coming in today, John.
John: Thank you for seeing me. I'm excited to be here.
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