The Lone Ranger’s power came from suffering and healing. In a sense, he died and was born into a new way of being, a new identity. He must absorb the meaning and impact of his loss and by doing so transform his understanding of who he is. Normal routines and roles were shattered along with assumptions about the future and how the world works. Without his brother and companions to share life’s winding trails, the Lone Ranger lost an important mirror onto himself. When we lose someone we love, a part of us dies with him or her. The fact that Tonto dug a sixth grave was not just strategic but also symbolic. He was the one left to grieve and carry on. To understand the Lone Ranger, we must understand that his identity is born from this immense trauma. Tonto buried the five victims but dug six graves, concealing the fact that a lone ranger remained. Tonto found the Lone Ranger lying on the ground and nursed him back to health. But the Lone Ranger was still breathing-barely. When Cavendish ambushed the ranger and five companions, one of whom was the Lone Ranger’s brother, the outlaws rode off, thinking all the rangers were dead. Originally the Lone Ranger was an ordinary Texas Ranger on the hunt for an outlaw gang led by the dastardly Butch Cavendish.

I now see how grief changed his life and suffering opened his heart. When I was a boy, the highlight of Saturday morning was watching the Lone Ranger and his friend Tonto heading right into the center of trouble to help, ultimately foiling the bad guys and saving the day.įorty years later, as a social worker counseling people struggling with painful challenges, I have a deeper appreciation for my old hero.

The Lone Ranger: A Hero Born in Suffering

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