12 Lessons from Watching Lonesome Dove 20 Times

“I never noticed you having accidents with ugly girls.”

***5/9/2024: You can avoid accidents with ugly girls if you read my new book, Stronger Down the Stretch.

In the winter of 1992, my wife and I honeymooned in the cold, snowy NC mountains. A short drive from our picturesque, mountainside log cabin was an old general store that rented movies on videotape. We selected the 6-hour western miniseries, Lonesome Dove, starring Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones as former Texas Rangers Augustus McCray and Woodrow Call. We fell in love with this beautiful adaption of Larry McMurtry’s 1986 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and have watched it at least 20 times. It’s a remarkable testament to the power of the story that we still find it captivating and continue to learn from it after so many viewings.

12 Life Lessons from Lonesome Dove (includes spoilers)

1 — Happiness is a decision, not a destination

Lorena is heartbroken as she realizes former Texas Ranger Jake Spoon won’t get her to San Francisco. Gus tries to soothe her with a beautiful truth.

“You see, life in San Francisco is still just life. If you want any…