As I child, I loved
Saturday morning!
This was the day
that I looked
forward to all week.
I would hurry
through my morning
chores, finish my
bowl of "Tony the
Tiger" cereal (it's
"GREAT!") and turn
on our family's
newly acquired
television set.
Yes, it was Saturday
morning in the late
1950s and life was
good! There
were a lot of good
programs such as:
Annie Oakley, Wild
Bill Hickok, Zorro,
Hopalong Cassidy,
Lassie, Rin-Tin-Tin,
Sky King, The Texas
Rangers, Gene Autry,
Roy Rogers, and Dale
Evans, just to name
a few.
Television was in
black and white back
then and sometimes
it didn't come in
very clear, in fact,
I thought that it
snowed in the desert
until we got a
better antenna with
a rotary dial.
I can still hear the
steady "click-click"
it made as it turned
the antenna to the
preferred direction.
The remote control
had not made an
appearance in the
50s, so we had to
actually get up out
of our chairs and
trek over to the
television and
change the channel
manually. As I
turned the dial,
searching for a
Saturday morning
favorite, it didn't
take long to check
out all three of the
channels that were
available. I
wondered why they
had all of those
other numbers on the
dial.
I would immediately
stop at the channel
where I heard the
familiar sound of
the "William Tell
Overture" as the
announcer would say:
"A fiery horse with
the speed of light,
a cloud of dust and
a hearty hi-yo
Silver. The
Lone Ranger! With
his faithful Indian
companion Tonto, the
daring and
resourceful masked
rider of the plains
led the fight for
law and order in the
early west. Return
with us now to those
thrilling days of
yesteryear. The Lone
Ranger rides again!"
After the programs
were over it was
time to pretend.
Sometimes I would
braid my hair like
Annie Oakley, saddle
my horse, and ride
off down the trail.
At other times I
would pretend to be
Dale Evans, Queen of
the West.
My brother and I,
along with the
neighborhood kids,
would imitate our
heroes and call each
other, "kemo sabe"
(meaning trusted
scout) and make
silver bullets out
of aluminum foil.
The programs on
Saturday morning
were mostly westerns
and stories of
rescue and heroism.
Who can forget the
Songbird flying
through the sky as
we heard, "Out of
the clear blue of
the western sky
comes Sky King!"
Whether it was Sky
King, Lassie, or The
Lone Ranger, the
programs were
wholesome and filled
with a plot and a
purpose. They
taught us that crime
doesn't pay.
The stories showed
us through the
heroic cowboys and
lawmen that it was
best to make good
choices by having
good morals and
values.
Our heroes gave us
"the code of the
West" that all good
cowboys and cowgirls
followed:
Hopalong Cassidy's
"Creed for American
Boys and Girls"
1. The highest badge
of honor a person
can wear is honesty,
be mindful at all
times.
2. Your parents are
the best friends you
have. Listen
to them and obey
their instructions.
3. If you want to be
respected, you must
respect others.
Show good manners in
every way.
4. Only through hard
work and study can
you succeed.
Don't be lazy.
5. Your good deeds
always come to
light. So
don't boast or be a
show off.
6. If you waste time
or money today, you
will regret it
tomorrow.
Practice thrift in
all ways.
7. Many animals are
good and loyal
companions. Be
friendly and kind to
them.
8. A strong, healthy
body is a precious
gift. Be neat
and clean.
9. Our country's
laws are made for
your protection.
Observe them
carefully.
10. Children in many
foreign lands are
less fortunate than
you. Be glad
and proud you are an
American
Gene Autry's "Ten
Commandments of the
Cowboy"
1. A cowboy never
takes unfair
advantage.
2. A cowboy never
betrays a trust.
3. A cowboy always
tells the truth.
4. A cowboy is kind
to small children,
to old folks, and to
animals.
5. A cowboy is free
from racial and
religious prejudice.
6. A cowboy is
helpful and when
anyone's in trouble
he lends a hand.
7. A cowboy is a
good worker.
8. A cowboy is clean
about his person and
in thought, word,
and deed.
9. A cowboy respects
womanhood, his
parents, and the
laws of his country.
10. A cowboy is a
patriot.
The Lone Ranger's
Creed
I believe that to
have a friend, a man
must be one.
1. That all men are
created equal and
that everyone has
within himself the
power to make this a
better world.
2. That God put the
firewood there, but
that every man must
gather and light it
himself.
3. In being prepared
physically,
mentally, and
morally to fight
when necessary for
that which is right.
4. That a man should
make the most of
what equipment he
has. That "this
government, of the
people, by the
people, and for the
people," shall live
always.
5. That men should
live by the rule of
what is best for the
greatest number.
6. That sooner or
later...somewhere...somehow...we
must settle with the
world and make
payment for what we
have taken. That all
things change, but
the truth, and the
truth alone lives on
forever.
7. I believe in my
Creator, my country,
my fellow man.
Roy Roger's "Rider's
Rules"
1. Be neat and
clean.
2. Be courteous and
polite.
3. Always obey your
parents.
4. Protect the weak
and help them.
5. Be brave but
never take chances.
6. Study hard and
learn all you can.
7. Be kind to
animals and care for
them.
8. Eat all your food
and never waste any.
9. Love God and go
to Sunday School
regularly.
10. Always respect
our flag and our
country.
Another aspect of
many of the western
programs was the
singing cowboy.
A campfire wasn't
complete without a
cowboy singing a
song as he strummed
his guitar.
Gene Autry, Roy
Rogers, and The Sons
of The Pioneers were
just a few of the
great cowboy
singers.
Throughout the
years, the morals
and values of our
childhood heroes
carried us through.
The children of the
50s are now
grandparents who
still believe in
"the code of the
west" and it has
served them well
through troubles,
illnesses, and wars.
Roy Rogers' cowboy
prayer still echoes
in our hearts:
"Lord, I reckon I'm
not much just by
myself,
I fail to do a lot
of things I ought to
do.
But Lord, when
trails are steep and
passes high,
Help me ride it
straight the whole
way through.
And when in the
falling dusk I get
that final call,
I do not care how
many flowers they
send,
Above all else, the
happiest trail would
be for YOU to say to
me,
"Let's ride, My
friend" Amen
I wish we never had
to say good-bye to
the kind of programs
that motivated
children and all of
us to be better
people.
Hopefully, child and
cowboy will meet
again so I won't say
good-bye, I'll just
sing....
Happy Trails to you,
until we meet again
Happy Trails to you,
keep smilin' until
then...
Who cares about the
clouds when we're
together?
Just sing a song and
bring the sunny
weather.
Happy Trails to you,
til we meet
again..."
(Happy Trails by
Dale Evans)
©Pamela R. Blaine
pamyblaine@blaines.us
http://blaines.us/PamyPlace.htm
Pam lives in
Missouri with her
husband, Michael.
She enjoys composing
music and writing
stories. She writes
"Pam's Corner" for
her local newspaper,
The Edina Sentinel.
She and her husband
are active in their
church where she
plays piano and he
is music leader.
They have a CD
available called,
"I'll Walk You
Home". The
title song is about
her lifelong friend
who died of cancer.
You can hear this
song on her website:
http://blaines.us/PamyPlace.htm
Used with permission
of Pamela R. Blaine
"Happy Trails"
sung by Roy Rogers &
Dale Evans
http://www.royrogers.com/
*This
music is purely for
entertainment and
educational purposes
only, without any
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whatsoever or profit
of any kind. Titles
have copyright by
their respective
artists and record
companies. Please
show your support
for the artists who
gave us this great
music by purchasing
their CDs. Thank
you.
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Title 17 U.S.C.
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