More About John Wesley Hardin And A Life Lesson

Another thing that struck me about the famed gunfighter was his unflinching honesty. Several accounts mention Hardin grabbing a horse and fleeing from some vengeful posse. He would later return the horse, along with a bit of money for the use of the animal.

Not your typical outlaw, was he?

Hardin spent about 15 years in jail. Upon his release, he was licensed to practice law in Gonzales County. He also received a full pardon from the governor of the State of Texas. This should tell the reader something about the ridiculous myths that surrounded Hardin, such as his allegedly killing a man for snoring. Someone who would take a life that callously would certainly not be eligible for a pardon. Unless he was a friend of Bill Clinton, that is.

After his release from prison, Hardin found himself a widower, with three grown children. He was at a bit of a loss. His plans while in prison focused on the life he would build for his family upon his release. When he got out, he found his family had grown up, and his wife had died.

This series of events led Hardin eventually to the saloons of El Paso, where he was shot in the back of the head while shooting dice. By all accounts, Hardin had lost his way in life. He became a heavy drinker, which was something he had avoided even at his most desperate times on the outlaw trail. He consorted with women of questionable character, which is again not something he had done in his early years. He became the man of his legend, quick-tempered and dangerous. His family was gone, and his legal career had not exactly taken off. He was a man without a purpose or plan in life, and that led him eventually to his death.

Again, there is a lesson here for everyone. During Hardin’s bloodiest outlaw days, he lived by a code of ethics. He never stole, he treated everyone with respect, and he tried to avoid trouble. Despite several states’ worth of people trying to kill him, Hardin tried to build a future for himself which would not involve violence. He put his family first, and his family never turned their back on him. His family gave him strength, and they supported him through some pretty rough times. Only in his final days did Hardin become vulnerable. He had turned his back on family, and had become a rougher character than he had ever been before. He had no plan for his life, and began living from day to day. This lifestyle literally killed him.

Due to his intense grief, Hardin turned his back on what had been so important to him in his youth. He began living for the moment, without any thought for the future. I have seen people just like that. They seem to come to no good end.

We are all here to serve God’s purpose. When we forget to live for his purpose, pretty rough things seem to happen. Hardin came through rough times, while he followed a code of ethics learned from his Methodist-minister father. When he lost sight of those values, he suddenly lost his invulnerability. There was no bouncing back from two bullets in the head.

Is it dangerous to live by a code of ethics? I think it is far more dangerous not to.

I'll probably be off blogging from Tuesday until Sunday. Everyone have a happy Thanksgiving, and God Bless.