The Lone Ranger and the Creative Path

I grew up in the 90’s like a 1950’s kid. We watched Three Stooges and Andy Griffith show on the regular, but one of my favorites was the Lone Ranger. He was the white knight in a mask and six shooters, riding around the west, saving people and stopping no-do-gooders. 

The plots were predictable and kitschy enough to be soothing, and the concepts like helping the weak and choosing integrity above personal gain were good ideals to put into a young 8 year old's head.

All that rootin’ tootin’ is apparently expensive, so the Lone Ranger and his brother owned a silver mine that they’d found. The brother mined it and sent a bit of the silver to the Lone Ranger as his “share” of the mine. It financed the Lone Ranger's expensive silver bullets, and freed the Lone Ranger up to fight bad guys without stopping to earn a living. 

I’ve watched probably a 100 episodes at this point, and so far nobody has ever pulled the Lone Ranger aside and said “so this riding around and gunfighting is important work and all, but when are you getting a real job at honorable Mr. Jensen’s Bank? (hint: if they’re called honorable, they’re probably the bad guy)” 

Or “So what do you do for money? I mean, it’s fun to pretend at being a hero, but what happens when you want to settle down and actually get real with your life? Do you have a 401k plan or anything?” 

Or “you’re not a legit Lone Ranger because you don’t make 100% of your money from Lone Rangering.” 

Of course not. Because they get it. He’s doing important work. 

The Lone Ranger has dedicated his life helping the dusty old west thrive. It’s a tough job with little to show for it in the end, but it’s worth it because it’s good work. It’s noble work. It’s work that makes the world a better place. It’s what every creative should make their lives about- working to help life bloom in the desert. 

Of course, the big practical takeaway from the show is, if you choose a career path that doesn’t pay well, to have a silver mine somewhere off in the hills financing you 😂 (Here’s a link to my silver mine, if you’re curious)