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My John Wayne Movie Obsession Inspires Me
Despite my better judgement
John Wayne has always been a family hero.
The strong, silent type who just gets things done, has always held an attraction for me. No-fuss, no mess — the bad guy gets beat, the good guy gets the girl, and there is always a happy ending.
I grew up on John Wayne movies, thanks to my parents and grandparents being avid fans.
As a kid, I always stood out from the crowd at high school. I was socially awkward, plain-looking, and wore glasses. I was the perfect target for bullying, and I got bullied a lot.
It took me years to stand up for myself, but when I finally did, my obsession with John Wayne movies helped me make the transition from a meek pushover to a fighter.
There is a scene from the movie Rio Bravo, where John Wayne goes out to patrol the town. One of the bad guys lingers outside the saloon, waiting for big John to pass by. Instead, he pauses behind the bad guy, his eyes boring into his back with a glacial look, and waits.
The bad guy gets twitchy and eventually turns to face him.
“Good evening,” John Wayne booms.
“Y-yes sir,” the bad guy replies and scuttles away.