Hello Folks, and welcome to my column—A Mountain Reflection.
My name is Jim. Make yourself comfortable—take my favorite chair (I can attest to its comfort) and I'll add another log to the woodstove (even the late September nights bring a chill this close to tree line). At this altitude, you can also see plenty, and that "heightened" perspective is what this column is all about.
Have you ever spent an evening high up in the central Colorado Rockies, enjoying the crackling of the fire, the infinite field of stars, and quiet so profound it has a presence?
Time slows down, my friend. You become aware of the majesty of nature, and as the days pass, your thoughts become quieter, and you slip into an awareness of something so immense it is almost impossible to express. Things become simpler, cleaner, and clear.
And the people. Not the ones who are just passing through, jaws agape at the wondrous scenery they have just now realized is part of their country. The people whom I speak about are the ones who've settled in, accepting the hardships and tempering that comes with long winters, isolation, and solitude. It is an environment that nourishes times of poignant reflection—about life, the heavens, humanity, and our traditions and character as a people.
Up here, a person wants to keep his word—not just appear to. And as neighbors and friends agree or disagree in a lively way over a morning cup of some of the best coffee on the planet, discussing everything from politics to sports; spiritualism to movies and music, it usually ends with an honest handshake and a smile. For as we walk out the door to start our day, a glance at the surrounding peaks reminds us of the presence of something bigger than ourselves.
Right now, America is going through its own time of reflection—not just this country, but many societies and peoples are examining the road we've traveled in modern times and wondering about what we may lose in the near future. Technology is everywhere. We are surrounded by constant stimulation of the senses and the behaviors reacting to that stimulation. Sometimes it feels we're caught in a current of inevitable change that leads to the loss of our traditions and character.
This is not about patriotism or nationalism—no, it's deeper and more fundamental than that. It's about a distortion or even loss of our noble human qualities and a forgetting of how we fit into "the big picture." It's about being indecisive and muddle-headed over things occurring in today's world when decisiveness and clarity are needed.
It's also about accepting responsibility for the roles we play in our families, communities, and country. And it's about learning the reasons for our life on earth. We have missions to fulfill, lives to touch, and a process of opening our often narrow hearts, preserving the best of what our culture contains.
No matter what happens in the world around us, we can control what's inside of us. We can examine ourselves in times of trouble and disagreement, and cultivate a balanced, well-rooted nature that is firm in its principles. We can take the best of our character, shaped over hundreds of years of sacrifice, hard-lessons, and a generous heart, and bring this to any table.
There is a widespread opinion that the United States is "a nation divided," entrenched in often selfish political views. I say that's false. For the most part, we want the same fundamental things, but disagree on how to get them. We've just forgotten to preserve our respect for differing opinions, to practice patience, and to cherish the importance of truth.
We constantly receive media streams describing global and national events in small sound bytes and graphic images, shaping in five minutes our understanding of the world around us. We are often too busy to do our own homework, accepting the news as presented through the filter of editorial decisions and sensational coverage.
Well, it's time to get back to the basics. It's time to restore the framework of what got us to this point and accept the responsibility of our role on earth; to not compromise our principles for economic success, the avoidance of confrontation, or guilt over our prosperity.
It starts with us, individually, just as we all, individually, played a role in reaching this point in the downward slide of our human society. Part of the process is to honestly reflect on these things and how our selfish desires often compromise our integrity.
So that's the big picture, and the understanding and thoughts of this here mountain man. I know—at times it sounded like a speech. But I've set the table, and in future columns we'll reflect on more specifics. After all, there's work to be done.
Well it's past my bedtime now, and my patient wife deserves the comfort of her husband sleeping next to her. We'll see you soon. 60390
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