It seems that in addition to the multitude of ideas (which I asked for) I got several requests to post the ideas. I do promise NOT to include all the ideas.
It seems that there are going to be several Western stories that will eventually get posted (when they're written) by various others. So... here are most of 'em that I got. [As a refresher, I'm bringing a 1850s Oklahoma lawman to the 2020 world]
A Sincere thanks to the several people who said "You're a creative guy. So, CREATE".
DON'T have him be a P.I. or a modern policeman -- my hero would never understand the gadgets and technicalities. (so say the nay-sayers)
DO have him misunderstand modern women, non-slave blacks/other minorities
Maybe he could:
- Be a woodworker or blacksmith or gunsmith
- Play Poker for a living
- Join a wild west show and/or teach fast draw with his gun
- Be a wilderness guide or at a western camp
- Be private security guy (apparently they don't need modern tech!) for a tech mogul / Disney-esque 16 y.o. hot singer / industrialist / etc.
- Be a bodyguard/ bouncer at a nightclub
- Become a kept gigolo for the lesbians who found him (this being SOL, they naturally convert to bi, I guess)
- Undercover border patrol agent
- Bartender who can solve the problems of patrons -- or works at a lesbian bar
- Discover he is great-great-etc grandfather of one of the women who discover him in 2020
- Lot of suggestions to expand on his backstory: descendants of his lawman-targets / gold mines / he came from London! (wow. Why not rename the character as Big Tex Holmes, lost son of Sherlock)
- Be a writer of first person western stories
- Hook up with a film or TV company
- Be a gen-u-wine cowboy
- Teach history
- Sell HIMSELF -- "what the west was REALLY like" personality / get millions from fathering children to status seeking women / to the gov't for research / photos with a genuine lawman or cowboy / a lock of his hair is worth $xx dollars
- partner with a con-man claiming to have met Elvis in the past (I DID say I wanted ideas from the most imaginative crew on the 'net)
- go to college where he meets (long list of people here)
- Be a bounty hunter
- Be a Rodeo star
- Work as a Museum curator
- Be a wild hog hunter (it's big problem in the South, for you yankees)
- Be a Mississippi Riverboat captain
- Be a vigilante
- Win the LOTTO and go to Vegas
- Learn to drive and be a long haul trucker
- Work in an oil field
- Discoverr a secret power -- or learns how to go back/forth to 1850
- MOST LIKELY. he gets hit by a bus after seeing modern traffic and dies (would have to be a VERY short story!)
- become a internet influencer, bitching on the 'net about life in 2020 (but that's already been done)
- Get involved with a local Indian tribe / Cherokee or Kiowa
and that's just a partial list. Many thanks to all who wrote me.