Outlaws.

inlaws-and-outlaws

I can talk about Northcote Parkinson and his book Inlaws and Outlaws but would rather not,  though I did have it in mind when I suggested this topic.

Here is a quote from the book and you will understand as to why I have decided not to. “Expansion means complexity and complexity, decay; or to put it even more plainly—the more complex, the sooner dead.”

I however want to introduce two remarkable outlaws who have impressed me in my life. The first one when I was a wee lad and the second one, when I was very much grown up and capable of admiring for reasons that will become obvious from reading about the outlaw in the link that I will provide.

I learnt about the world ‘outlaw’ from reading about Robin Hood in my boyhood and he was the hero for many of my friends as well. All of us wanted to grow up and be like him and constantly looked for people who could be like Friar Tuck. Alas, I never did find one and I doubt very much that any of my boyhood friends did either. None of us grew up to be Robin Hood, and thank God for that too. I learnt during one of my visits to my home town when I was much older,  that one classmate of mine did become an outlaw and went to jail. I don’t know what happened to him after that,

The second outlaw who impressed me was a real life flesh and blood one and a woman to boot. Phoolan Devi is no more but is a legend alright.  I don’t want to reinvent the wheel.  You can read all about her here and you will know why she impressed me.

The difference between in laws and outlaws – outlaws are wanted.

This topic for the weekly LBC posts was suggested by me.  Please visit him and Pravin who are also likely to write on the same topic.

12 thoughts on “Outlaws.”

  1. Interesting – we got our interest in outlaws from the same source – Robin Hood.
    The rest came from movies, TV and books. I never considered Indians outlaws but I was always fascinated with Cochise, Geronimo and the like as well.

  2. seems to be quite a number of outlaws, from both genders, many seem to be gunslingers or involved with gambling…and of course there also also the bank robbers. Sometimes involved in robbing the “train”

  3. when I married into my husband’s family he told me they were related to jesse and frank james.
    I thought he was just kidding.
    then one day we went to visit grandpa james. he was very very old by then.
    he got to talking about his childhood and when he was just a boy how the outlaws would ride in and create much excitement. grandpa still remembered it well.
    apparently jesse and frank would be “hid out” by the ranchers and farmers. they would be given fresh horses and fed at the dinner table. when they finished eating they would leave a couple of gold pieces under their plates. that would help the farmers get through the winter.
    they were STILL bad outlaws of course. but that’s how the ‘robin hoods of the west’ aspect of their lawless careers got spread around.
    tammy j recently posted..moving on old bean

  5. My favorite former outlaw is Trevor Noah’s mother. He was Born a Crime. His mother was a criminal when she had him by a white person. If he had been discovered when he was little, before the end of apartheid, she would have gone to prison and he would have gone to an orphanage.
    Cheerful Monk recently posted..Two Different Cartoons

    1. Though she was an outlaw technically, she lived in the times of apartheid and that is why she was. She still makes for interesting study for the very adventurous life that she lived. Her son is another fascinating character as well.

  6. Very sharp play on words, Ramana! I’m not an outlaw (never have been), but I’m very much an in law, and in thinking about being a guest during our approaching holiday celebrations, I hope I am still one of the “wanted” ones!

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