In response to my little post on societal codes and that version of the Code of the West, Gwynnie sent me the Cowboy Ettiket below. (A reader also sent me the Larimer County, Colorado, Code for Newcomers: it is tough, and certainly does not encourage anyone soft or risk-averse to move there.)
Don’t squat with your spurs on.
Don’t interfere with something that ain’t botherin’ you none.
Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.
The easiest way to eat crow is while it’s still warm. The colder it gets, the harder it is to swaller.
If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin’.
If it don’t seem like it’s worth the effort, it probably ain’t.
It don’t take a genius to spot a goat in a flock of sheep.
The biggest troublemaker you’ll probably ever have to deal with watches you shave his face in the mirror every morning.
Never ask a barber if you need a haircut.
If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some influence, try orderin’ somebody else’s dog around.
Don’t worry about bitin’ off more’n you can chew; your mouth is probably a whole lot bigger’n you think.
Always drink upstream from the herd.
Generally, you ain’t learnin’ nothing when your mouth’s a-jawin’.
Tellin’ a man to git lost and makin’ him do it are two entirely different propositions.
If you’re ridin’ ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it’s still there with ya.
Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.
When you give a personal lesson in meanness to a critter or to a person, don’t be surprised if they learn their lesson.
When you’re throwin’ your weight around, be ready to have it thrown around by somebody else.
Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin’ it back.
Always take a good look at what you’re about to eat. It’s not so important to know what it is, but it’s sure crucial to know what it was.
The quickest way to double your money is to fold it over and put it back into your pocket.
Never miss a good chance to shut up.
OK, those are a bit jocular, but codes like the Larimer County one are dead serious. The more I think about social/societal codes, the more important I realize that they are. Sociologists probably think about this a lot. Codes of behavior - not skin color, not wealth, not national origin - are what distinguish "tribes", and tribes are communities of trust in which the behavior of others is predictable, comprehensible, and based on shared assumptions, morals, and sets of values.
Old postcard: Long's Peak from Bear Lake, Estes Park, Larimer Co, Colorado
