EDITOR:

Darrel Winfield passed away a few months ago in Wyoming at the age of 85. Mr. Winfield was a real-life cowboy who became the poster of the Marlboro Man.

He was an icon who represented the American male for what the American man once stood for.

Those characteristics – rugged individualism, honesty, trustworthiness and dependability – that once were the staples of this country.

Now the poster for the American male would be someone talking into their cell phone or someone reading and sending texts.

But not me. I still haven’t sent a text yet and don’t plan on it anytime soon. I let my cell phone expire and have no plans to purchase another. Society be damned, I’ll continue to emulate and live the characteristics of the Marlboro Man till the end.

Postscript: A writer criticized Mr. Winfield for being a smoker in the obituary written about him. I’ll take one Mr. Winfield over 10 of the writers. The reason is very simple: I’m not certain I can count on any of those writers to stick by their word. I know I can count on the word of a man like Mr. Winfield.

Jerry Rahoi

Iron Mountain