[September 26, 2024] As I look back from my late adult years, I’m now more appreciative of my Mom for pushing me – as a skinny little tike – outside the house to play with my brother and my friends. And also for her to restrict how much time I could spend watching television. The weather was unimportant, “Get out and play with your friends!” Rain became my friend. That’s how we were raised and there’s no getting above it.
I wasn’t happy about this arrangement, not one bit, because I liked sitting in front of the boobtube. While watching television, I was comfortable and entertained with mindless cartoons. It was easy to turn off my brain, sitting there with drool running down my chin – just kidding, I didn’t drool, but all the rest is true. People in hell want ice water, too, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to get it.
My favorite Western TV series was “The Lone Ranger,” such a great show and I would not ever miss it. Every time I hear the show’s title, “The Lone Ranger,” the words, “Hi-Yo Silver, Awwaayyyy,” play in my head. Gosh, I loved that show. The fact that the Lone Ranger rode a beautiful sabino white stallion named ‘Silver’ meant a good deal to me. If only I had that horse, I imagined I could ride to stop the bad guys – aiming my pearl-handled Colt six-shooter at them – and throw every one of them in jail.
My mind was simple: there was good, and there was bad. The world was black and white, and that was that. Even the TV was black and white. Be a good boy, I was told. That too, was what I wanted more than anything and to be accepted. That’s what my church’s Pastor Wainwright would tell me often, and I believed him then, and I believe him now.
My brother Philip was like me but nearly two years younger. While I was being good, or at least trying to be good, he was reading The Bastrop Daily Enterprise newspaper classified ads, those ads like “Young girl from Russia looking for husband.” That was seen as too much for our morals, even scandalous, but Philip was pretty swift. It’s a good thing Mom didn’t catch him exercising his new talent.
One summer morning, I was maybe 11 or 12, I was sitting in Vacation Bible School class and daydreaming about riding The Lone Ranger’s horse when I was interrupted by the teacher. She asked me to read a passage from the New Testament. I flipped open to a random place in my inexpensive white-covered Bible – given to me as a birthday gift a year earlier – and started reading from Psalm 1:1. I still have that Bible, now a precious family treasure.
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers.” By sheer luck, I’d selected a passage often quoted by our pastor. But at my youthful age, I had no idea what this meant, but neither was I walking where the “wicked” walked. Funny how that works.
Somehow, while watching the Lone Ranger show, I envisioned myself much like the masked hero, rescuing those who were wronged by robbers, murderers, horse thieves, charlatans, snake oil salesmen, and other unsavory characters. And I was riding off into the sunset with my Indian companion Tonto to find more bad guys who would wrong good Christian people.
Was this hokey thinking and simplistic? Yes, indeed, but not really that far off from living a prosperous, practical, patient, peaceful life by staying out of trouble. Alas, I couldn’t prevent trouble from following me. Additionally, I lacked focus, discipline, and logical thinking; ‘trouble’ was my middle name. My friends still say that.
Where I grew up, kids liked to play outside near the railroad tracks, all acting as if we were the local Sheriff, never the police, because we hadn’t heard of “police.” Robbers hit trains; that’s where the real money is. That’s why we were walking the railroad tracks, a risky adventure because we were on an active transportation rail line. The local Sheriff was the head good guy in town and looked out for us.
We must’ve looked crazy as we ran up and down the RR tracks, playing as part of the town’s posse chasing bad guys. Occasionally, an adult or the Sheriff would shoo us away since we were making too much noise for the fine townspeople who lived on the “better” side of the tracks. Apparently, not getting run over by a train was too far-fetched for us to consider.
Occasionally, we would run across a hobo riding the rails. He’d be held up near the train station and we knew that hobos would hang out there and they couldn’t be trusted. They lied for food, money, and clothing, but especially for alcohol. Their best lie was to ask us, “Could you spare a dime for baby formula?” Yeah, right! Or, better, “My car ran out of gas just down the road.” What car? Generally, the hobos ignored us kids since we had no money on us, but they’d put a scare into us by telling us fantastic personal stories of their journey.
Hobos always uncovered the suckers in town, usually older women who gave them money. Then we’d later see that hobo coming out of the local bar near the railroad station but never out of the cafeteria across the street. According to Pastor Wainwright, the hobo path they’re on was brutal, deprived, and short. “Douglas, pray for them.” And I did.
Tonto’s name for the Lone Ranger was “Kemosabe.” I’m not sure what that name means or why Tonto called him that. I was taken by this duo – the Lone Ranger and Tonto. And I remember Tonto saying, “Kemosabe, long as you live, long as me live, me ride with you.” A display of selfless camaraderie and loyalty. YEAH.
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NOTE: See all my letters here: https://www.theleadermaker.com/granddaughter-letters/
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Another great letter, now #95 !!!!!!!!
Every time I see “Letters to My Granddaughter”, I click and read. If it is a letter from Gen. Satterfield to his granddaughter, then i know it will be a good ride, a good read.
Sir, I must say that you have done us a favor by bringing back the old memories lost somewhere in the back of my brain from the “old days” of my youth. I continue to enjoy these “letters to my granddaughter” and I’m happy to say I too begun to write letters to my grandchildren as well. You have inspired me to do so and while I will never publish them, just by writing these letters, I have gained a better understanding of myself and while pulling up all those memories, i can say with pride that I grew up being a good person and hope to stay that way.
What Do You Mean “Kemosabe,” Kemosabe?
https://slate.com/culture/2013/06/kemosabe-meaning-origin-and-history-of-tontos-word-in-lone-ranger.html
Even if you’ve never heard or seen a single episode of Fran Striker’s early 20th-century creation The Lone Ranger—begun on the radio, continued in books and on television, and soon to hit the big screen—the term kemosabe is likely familiar to you. In the years since 1933, when the radio series premiered, the word has become ingrained in the American lexicon, finding its way into infamous jokes and kitschy songs.
Kemosabe is a famous name today in America, thanks to the Lone Ranger.
Another great granddaughter letter!
💌 Gen. Satterfield, loved this letter like all the others. 💌
❤ The more of these love letters the better we all are. ❤
😜 Funny 💋 Loving 👍 Worthy 😜 Goofy 😂 Sad 🤣 Happy
All these emotions tied together into letters from Gen. Satterfield to his granddaughter makes me feel that reading the letters was worthwhile. Thanks for the daily letter and thanks for being who you are.
As we approach the end of this series of 100 letters to Gen. Satterfield’s granddaughter, let us take note of how his letters have evolved and made ‘better’ through his drilling down into the daily life of a little boy that would grow up to be an army general. Now that is indeed an accomplishment of significant magnitude that it does deserve mentioning. So, how does “The Lone Ranger” play into his development as a child. I think it is because the Lone Ranger is a man that stands for good and for protecting the innocent. That is built into us but to follow that path of the Lone Ranger or of an Army officer of high rank is difficult. Being bad is easy. Being good is hard. Thanks to Gen. Satterfield for allowing us to enter into the early life that he had. i would hope that Gen. S. publishes these letters in a book and I would certainly purchase the book. Now, maybe the next series is about the military career of Gen. S. and how and what he did to get promoted to Brigadier General. Thanks all for reading my post.
Winston, I agree with you that it would be great to see these letters published. And, that he writes about his military career. But the latter is not something I would think Gen. Satterfield is inclined to do.
True, but we all can hope that he does it anyway.
Great letter, Gen. Satterfield, thank you for sharing it.
1 Corinthians 13:4–8
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
… ❤ and this is what makes Christianity better than other religions, not that I’m biased in any way! ❤
Nothing like a love letter to start my day!
I just got on in the leadership forum here to tell Gen. Satterfield thanks for allowing us to read his letters to his granddaughter and also for giving us a glimpse into his world growing up.
One of the benefits of reading these letters is that we get to get an understanding of what it was like before drugs became so prominent in our society. And, since we are no longer trying to shame people into good behavior, the kind of behavior that is a benefit to them and to us. We say no shame no shame no shame. And, now look where we are as a nation. Yes, I know it’s largely because we have an anti-American president and VP (who is running to be president) but we all should see that for what it is. Drugs destroy. And while some drugs help, most of them destroy so let’s be careful when we read these letters to Gen. Satterfield’s granddaughter and see them as a way for us to extract ourselves from illegal drug use and from no longer shamming folks into good behavior.
Good subject for discussion but today I’m going to stick with just saying that I love this blog and these letters.
✔✔✔✔✔✔
Yeah, I agree with you The Kid. I’m reading these letters mostly for entertainment but along the way I get to pick up bits and pieces of what makes for a good man, along the way and this letter #95 is one of the best yet.
Now this is a story …. “Occasionally, we would run across a hobo riding the rails. He’d be held up near the train station and we knew that hobos would hang out there and they couldn’t be trusted. They lied for food, money, and clothing, but especially for alcohol. Their best lie was to ask us, “Could you spare a dime for baby formula?” Yeah, right! Or, better, “My car ran out of gas just down the road.” What car? Generally, the hobos ignored us kids since we had no money on us, but they’d put a scare into us by telling us fantastic personal stories of their journey.” – Gen. Doug Satterfield.
💌💌💌💌💌 Beautiful love letter to Gen. Satterfield’s granddaughter. 💌💌💌💌💌 This is why I read his blog and today it was worth it.
This letter is a throwback in time. And it is wonderful.
KRause, yep and I love it.
At a time in American where so many of us are divided over whether we want a path to freedom or serfdom – Trump vs Harris – we have in the middle of it all, a letter from Gen. Satterfield to his granddaughter that tells of simpler times. We should pay close attention to these experiences of the boy as he grows up and develops into a senior army general and has learned how to lead people. This is in stark contrast to a person Kamala Harris who has zero experience but wants to destroy America. Never vote democrat party ever.
Gen. Satterfield sure knows how to make my day with a wonderful, loving letter to his granddaughter.
💌 Got it 💌
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I must say you are right about that Steve and this is #95 out of 100 letters that Gen. Satterfield has promised and he we are just a few away from the end of this long-running series. I’m really happy for these letters but I am not so happy that they are coming to an end. This letter today is a great letter about his favorite tv show The Lone Ranger. And I can see why he loved the show so much.
This is exactly why I read his website every single day. It gives me a lift up in life.
Me too ………………………….. 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀
Yep, got it too. Gen. Satterfield is doing us all a favor by giving us some of his experiences, likes & dislikes, all during his childhood and young adulthood. We can now begin to witness why he joined the US Army and why he decided to stay in it for the long run …. 40 years in the army. And, like he said before, he would have stayed in the army if they had let him.