Maverick

Mel Gibson's Maverick was really bad. I can recall sleeping through parts of it. The 1994 movie sucked and Jodi Foster was not a tad bit convincing, but still the word maverick did not go South, that actually happened in 2008. Maverick derailed and loss its essence when used to the point of vomiting during the 2008 election when referring to John McCain. "He's a real maverick, that McCain." "The old maverick was rallying for support in Texas the other day......" You couldn't escape it. Everywhere you turned there was that annoying word. I got tired of hearing it, as well as, "change", but that's another blog, that anytime news came on regarding the elections I'd switch the channel or turn the set off.

No longer the friend of cattle gone astray, maverick has become the person who isn't beholden to anyone, who is not for sale. Ruled only by independent thought and action. The funny thing is that maverick is usually attributed to politicians. Now why would anyone, alive on planet Earth, define any politician as a maverick? Not beholden to anyone? Not for sale? Independent thought and action? Somehow this meaning does not lead me to use it to define any politician of any sort. Surely we all know politicians and know they say one thing and do another. Buy and are bought. Go along with whoever makes it worth their while. Cynical, perhaps. With a lot of truth in it, you bet.

Ah well who understand anything any longer anyway. I personally never used to think of a maverick as a stray cow or a politician. When I heard the word the image of Yosemite Sam would come to mind. Now there was a maverick. He didn't like Bugs and wasn't afraid to say it. How many times, with more gump than Elmer Fud, did he try to kill Bugs? Too many for this Looney Tune watcher to remember. Here was Yosemite going against all the odds, beholden to no one, independent and willing to eliminate that dang rabbit we all knew and loved. Who doesn't recall the old piano cartoon when he loads the piano with dynamite so that when Bugs hits a certain note..............BOOM! Of course, like Elmer and Wild E. Coyote with the Road Runner, Yosemite never seemed to get his way and Bugs got the last laugh. But did that deter Yosemite? Did that make him give up? No sir! He was determined, goal minded, independent, go getter, and yes...................a real maverick!

image of Yosemite: www.math.ku.edu