Monday, October 27, 2008

Colorado girl

Occasionally it is necessary to get away from the bustle of downtown Boulder and the people in it, and sweat out the qualms and quandaries of the previous night with the help of mother nature. After finding a place to park a few blocks down the street from Chataqua park, I started to realize this was not quite the getting away that I had envisioned. Nevertheless, I slipped on my earphones, cranked the iPod to drown out my heavy breathing and headed up the least-packed trail at a slightly slower gait than normal.
Earlier the same morning I woke up with a bad taste in my mouth, both figuratively and literally. The micro brew consumed last night had certainly left its mark. Slapping for the cell phone only heeded more vomitous realizations: So many missed calls and even more drunk dials resulted in a decision to stop drinking, again. Lifestyle changes must be made as my climbing and psyche were degrading by the weekend. This combined with much confusion relating to overzealous men, nice men, past men and just men in general led to the sudden urge to get outside for a long trail run.
The run was medicating, but not quite as planned. About 20 minutes into the jog after realizing some wrong turns had led me to bight off more than I could chew, I stopped to ‘check out some boulders’ (read: catch my breath for longer than I deserved). Hippity-hopping down the path like a sparrow, with legs to fit, came the typical Boulder runner with a regal, panting best friend at his heals. I give the nicely-aging gentleman a smile of desperation, wiping off the drips of sweat still running down my forehead. To my surprise he yelles, “Get yourself up there!”
I really don’t know how to respond so I pant, “Is it worth it?”
“Of course. You can do it. You’re a Colorado girl now.” And he was off.
Wait, a Colorado girl? Have I not been a Colorado girl my entire life? What did he mean by this? My immediate conclusion was that I must look fat and out of shape, but after further convincing gave the nice man, and myself, the benefit of the doubt and thought maybe he could have meant a number of different things by that; I’m just not sure what.
Regardless, his statement changed the mood of the run in a positive manner. The iPod got turned off, the run got more intense and Colorado was enjoyed more, honestly. At the peak, I scrambled to a good sitting spot with a view of the other side of Boulder and my perspective on life was immediately changed.
With head finally cleared, the hike down was a little sunnier and the air significantly fresher. Upon arriving at my car I realized that sometimes it takes an out-of-place comment by a very in-place stranger to change a bad perspective and clear the clouds of one’s mind. I still don’t know what he meant by his comment, and it will perturb me for quite awhile, undoubtedly. But along with the confusion comes the life lesson, which isn’t all bad.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Ohhhbama... and other election-day trends

It has become sometimes painful to observe the ignorant, sheep-like following of Sen. Barack Obama by the entire Boulder (and surrounding) community knowing perhaps more than half are doing so because it is trendy (although they will probably claim otherwise).
While Obama must be given credit where it is due for attracting so many 'new' people to the election of arguably the most important position in the country, the manner in which this attraction is occurring is more in tune with a female-male courtship or a jam band groupie than a political election.
Flocking to the nearest hip bar to watch each debate with 100 others holding the exact same 'views,' patrons of Obama memorize enough clever witticisms to quote the following day at Whole Foods, another hip bar, or basically anywhere, as everyone believes the same thing. Ask any at the bar-debate party the next day what Obama's foreign policy plan for the middle east is (perhaps the most important topic, and most talked about?), and see who actually knows the answer. And if they happen to know the answer due to common-sense party-line politics, ask them about another topic. The answers will most likely resemble an episode of "Street Smarts."

Evidence that this is not just a bitter rant can be found in an article of the Golden Transcript following Obama's visit to the Colorado School of Mines: http://www.milehighnews.com/Articles-i-2008-09-18-208033.114125_Obama_supporters_fill_arena.html In the article, a woman named Mary Orem, a Golden, CO resident was captured in this manner:
Tears streamed down her face intermittently during Obama's 45-minute speech. "I'm 54, and this is the first time I've been able to be this involved," Orem said.
Really Mary? Tears? Please keep in mind that, according to the article, Obama was addressing national economic issues, not freeing war-torn countries. Tears hardly seem necessary.
But more distressing is the quote from Orem. At the age of 54 this is the first time she has been able to be this involved? How frightening that Orem has lived to the age of 54 without realizing that as a citizen of the United States, it has been her job since the age of 18 to be 'this involved' in the political process. Furthermore, I have trouble sleeping at night thinking about people of this intelligence and emotional (tears?) level voting for the next leader of the free world.
However, I retain some hope in the fact that Mary, in her emotionally fragile state probably forgot to register to vote, and will instead sit at home and feel involved on election day.