Never ever ever ever in my wildest dreams, I would have imagined I would live in a small town, at 8,000 feet above the sea level, and be in constant awe.
Never in my most fantastic dreams, I could have painted a more majestic beauty, and observe it changing colors and shapes by the hour, always anew.
Never, not even in my most New Age positive moments, I would have believed that temperatures that range for days between 6 and 12 degrees Fahrenheit, would feel really cold, but would not see me complaining. Instead, find me in an awakened deep curiosity about true human resilience, mind over matter and the results of habits.
Never ever in my most gypsy moments, I would have thought that I, a big city loving I, could live in a small town, and utterly enjoy the pervasively close, immediate contact, with the gigantic mountains, the rivers, the woods, the snow, the sky, the bears, the hyenas, the birds, the people.
Never even in my most passionate defense for simple living, I would have truthfully been able to imagine what it is to live amongst people who genuinely like each other and are inclusive… People who connect without a speck of pretense, just connecting. The firefighter next to the doctor, next to the teacher, next to the councilman, next to the cleaning lady… at the same coffee shop or bar, just affably sharing the space. It is as if they all share a secret pact: to be kind, to be pleasant, to like themselves, to like others, to be happy.
I never would have ever thought that maybe this is what it means to live with holistic integrity, with a clear recognition of the adventure of the moment. Maybe it is given by the town’s unique history, by its absolute beauty, by its people’s conscientious decision and pride in “simple living”. Whatever is in the equation, it just works in a way that I would have never ever ever imagined possible for me or anybody I knew.
HAPPY NEW YEAR AND HAPPY BLOOD MOON!
I am writing to you from amongst the 3,301 people who live in Telluride.