Westerns

I am writing this in the very fine new public library building in Cheyenne, Wyoming. I was speaking to the Wyoming Library Association conference this morning. I have been travelling this week, hence no posts. In the few minutes before the library closes ….
When I told the children I was coming to Cheyenne I realized that it did not have the same associations for them as it does for me. If I had an American schooling my associations would no doubt be different. But when I was sitting in Denver airport early this morning looking at flights to Cheyenne, Amarillo, or Dodge City my thoughts ran straight to the Westerns I saw when growing up.
I was surprised to discover a while ago that the children had never actually seen a western! We agreed we would look out for one on TV and watch it. The first we saw was in black and white. No way would they watch a movie in black and white 😉 It was soooo old. We never did manage to watch a full one …
It is funny to think that these names do not have the same associations for them. It is also a reminder – if one was needed – of how different their cultural frame of reference is to mine at their age.