Your persona is the masque or appearance you present to the world. As you mature, you typically develop a persona which fits you -- your unique background, and your current occupation. This can be tough, if you're in an occupation without a stereotype. But for some, it's easy: :

Cops. There are lots of TV images that a guy (or gal) can adopt as a ready-made persona. From Dragnet, to Cagney and Lacy, to Hill Street Blues, to NYPD Blue, there's a masque for the new cop to put on.

Bikers. Motorcycle clubs provide a persona for the young man to follow. It's such a stereotype that you can conjure it up in your mind, developed from movies like The Wild One, Easy Rider, Tex Cobb's Mad Biker in Raising Arizona, or the latest critical flop (but enormously popular) Wild Hogs. This persona is so well-developed that it can be adopted by any dim bulb who can't decide what he wants to really be (not that bikers are dim bulbs... heaven forefend!!).

Cowboys. Over the years, the term cowboy has had a variety of meaning. In 1881, in Tombstone, it was a collective term for a group of men who were, frankly, cattle rustlers. At best. At their worst, they were also stage robbers and murderers [and <gasp> Democrats!!]. By the turn of the century, the term had become more romantic, and then...the movies picked up the concept and developed the cowboy as a drover and a rover, and maybe even <gasp> a singer carrying his guitar strapped to his saddle bags.. (Have you seen the Duke as "Singing Sandy??" Give me a break!")

The Cowboy Way, of course, is a movie. Good idea, but not a very good movie. (Hey, read the reviews!!)

The Cowboy Way

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