Divisions

For the past week, I have struggled with reading (anti)social media and watching the news. I watch as our country devolves into violence, into an “us versus them” mindset. Black men are executed during simple traffic stops and for exercising their rights; white police officers are killed out of anger and retaliation for those killings of black men. Presidential candidates are spewing racist, sexist, dog-whistle phrases and memes as if they are the only ones whose opinions count and no one else is listening.

This is going on even among close friends and family. And I don’t like it. As Voltaire once said: “I disapprove of what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it.” I used to believe that was what made civil discourse in America. We used to have polite conversation in our society, but it seems that “civil discourse” has become a dirty word. What ever happened to compromise? I give a little, you give a little; we agree to disagree on the rest, and leave those issues for later. These days, if one “side” or the other doesn’t get its way, the “civil discourse” turns into threats or downright violence.

What people seem to forget is that the Constitution applies to EVERYONE. Not just the rich, the white, the straight, the Right-Wing, the Christian. It applies to EVERYONE. The First Amendment states:

• “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

That sounds pretty plain to me. And to anyone who has read the writings of our founders, you will know that they wanted a country free from religious control and persecution – in short, they wanted a secular nation. After all, it hadn’t been that long since their own forefathers had boarded a ship to escape real religious persecution.While I don’t necessarily identify as a Christian, I do identify with the Christ-Consciousness. When I read the Christian Bible, I am more likely to pick up a red-letter version of that book and read the words printed in those red letters – the words of Jesus. (For the record, I don’t limit myself to the Christian Bible. I have also read from the Bhagavad Gita, The Tibetan Book of the Dead, the Kabalah, and various Indigenous belief systems. I am currently waiting for an annotated copy of the Holy Qo’ran.)

I read the Bible on a whim when Donna and I got home from Pagosa Springs last weekend. That day, I happened upon the Sermon on the Mount. I read the Sermon with the charged political rhetoric rolling around in the back of my head, and what stuck out to me the most was St. Matthew 7:1-2, as written in the King James Version.

1. “Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2. “For with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”

Now, to me, that says you should be paying more attention to your journey through this life – not someone else’s. As my kids, grandkids, and step-family will tell you, I am not one to tell anyone how to live their life. If you come to me for advice, I will tell you how I see it, through the eyes of my wisdom and my experience, but your choices are your own. I don’t live in your skin, I don’t know what challenges this life is throwing at you, I don’t know you from the inside – only you do.

My personal philosophy is that I will pay attention to my journey in life and let you live yours. I will respect that your journey has led you to different conclusions and ways of thinking than have mine. I only ask that you grant me the same respect.

That is the beauty of America. We are the Melting Pot of the world. We have taken thousands of religious and spiritual beliefs and blended them into a wonderful, beautiful tapestry. This country is richer for the diversity, and our strength lies in our diversity, which is exactly what some want to destroy – and we are letting them.Some people think that the relative anonymity of social(?) media gives them the cover to say things they would not say to someone’s face. This is where I see civil discourse break down. I made a promise to myself that I will only post things that I would want my mother to read.

I have tried very hard this year to not push my political views on my social media tribe, mostly because I do not push my life, beliefs, and lifestyle in anyone’s face. I am also trying very hard not to respond to (what in my opinion are) not well-thought out arguments and news items from my friends and family who have political views that are opposite of my own (refer back to the Voltaire quote in paragraph 2 and the fact that this is only MY opinion, which I am entitled to keep to myself).

What a lot of people seem to have forgotten right now is that for every argument you have in favor of your position, there is likely someone out there that is living life on the other side of that argument. You want to open carry your AR-15 rifle? Fine, your neighbor down the street should be able to carry one too if they are as law-abiding as you. They’re black or Latinx? Why is that a problem to you? Don’t they have as much right to defend themselves against you as you do to defend yourself against them?

This is the problem I’m having with the “political discourse” this election cycle. This “my way or the highway” attitude that is pervasive on the internet right now (FaceCrack(sic), Titter(sic), Ribbit(sic), and the rest of unsocial media) has me close to uninstalling any (anti)social media sites from my phone and going back to the 1990s way of keeping in touch with friends and family – email and phone calls.

For now, though, I will mostly lurk, read the headlines that grab my attention and keep my political opinions to myself. But, I will vote my conscience when the elections roll around, and hope that people remember the real issues – we are one nation and it hasn’t only been those on “your” side that have helped make it the success it is today. It has been men and women, straight people and LGBTQIA people, white and black and Native American and Hispanic and Asian, Christian and Muslim and Jew and Buddhist and Wiccan and Indigenous – all of us together – that has made this country what it is.

Let’s find the things we have in common, instead of looking for the things that set us apart and make a better America for our kids, grand kids, and great grand kids.

Pagosa Springs: After Thoughts

I’m one of those people whose mind never slows down. I find it hard to meditate, and consequently don’t do it as much as I should. I struggle with the staying power to make regular time to practice yoga on a daily basis, even though I am well aware of the physical, mental, and emotional benefits such a practice would evoke. I fully blame myself for these shortcomings. Simply put, I am human.

When I’m riding a long trip on the motorcycle, my mind is going in a million different directions. Primarily, my eyes wander the road from side to side along the road, I’m scanning my mirrors, I’m looking ahead at traffic, I’m watching the road surface for hazards. I’ve been driving for so long, that a lot of what I do when I drive (or ride) is automatic and it leaves a good portion of my brain singing “Are We There Yet?” until my head explodes.

So, instead of driving myself insane with an annoying earworm, I think about the stories that are constantly running though my head. Sometimes I write little vignettes and scenes that I can never quite remember when I sit down to put those thoughts on paper. I take in the scenery around me, and kick myself in the @$$ for not having my GoPro charged and mounted on a helmet. And the scents, aromas, and odors of an area are unavoidable when riding through on a motorcycle. The air can go from the scent of wildflowers to the stench of decay in one breath. Thankfully, on a motorcycle the latter is usually well behind by the time you can take a second whiff.

I’ve tried listening to music while I ride. That only works if you have a set of ear buds that will seal the ear canal enough not to let in the wind noise. And even then, in a cross wind all bets are off on even being able to hear anything but an occasional loud note or riff. I bought a (pricey) custom set of inner ear speakers, but they only lasted a few years before I couldn’t hear much out of them anymore. Besides, they didn’t have an inline volume control, and those are hard to find nowadays.

So, I think of stories to write when I ride. Someday those stories will make it to paper, but right now, they are ideas percolating in the depths of my mind. Stay tuned, you never know when one of those stories will appear in this blog. 

Pagosa Springs: Another One Bites the Dust

Another trip, that is.

This morning we were up and at 'em at 6:30 AM. (I know, right? We are almost never moving that early when we are on vacation. But this morning we were on a mission.) Our goal today was to ride all the way home. 

Last night, I put in a request for nice weather (or at least missed weather) for our ride home today. (I believe in the Law of Attraction. I mean, why not, it's worked for me so far.) And it worked, up to a point. Then it worked again.

We got the bikes packed, the place cleared out, the keys returned, and were sitting down do breakfast at Two Chicks and A Hippie (Donna wanted that awesome green chili one more time before we left) by 8:15 AM. By 9:00 AM we were riding east on US Hwy 160 facing our old nemesis, Wolf Creek Pass.

This morning the weather gods were with us as we had one of the most gorgeous rides over the pass that we have ever experienced. The sky was a perfect Colorado Blue with white puffy clouds. The last time we rode over Wolf Creek Pass, we to hailed on and rode over in rain and 50° temperatures. This ride was a treat. 

As we left US 160 and turned onto US Hwy 285 north, the wind picked up and we could see the clouds build up in South Park. We pulled over to gear up for rain so we wouldn't have to do it at an inconvenient place. Sure enough, 5 miles up the road, the rain started. We were glad we had put our heavy gloves and rain gear on, because not only was it raining, the temperature had dropped as we were climbing over Poncha Pass. 

By the time US 285 turned northeast, a few miles south of Buena Vista, the rain had stopped over our heads, but we could see evidence of it along the road. We stopped a couple more times to get off the bikes and stretch before we reached the I-76 cutoff to I-25 in Denver. We had decided earlier in the day, that if traffic was as bad as it had been on our way out of town last weekend, we were going to take the service road instead of the stop and go traffic that plagues US Hwy 287. 

Surprisingly, traffic on I-70 and I-76 through Denver and north on I-25 was relatively light considering the holiday weekend. We expected traffic to be much worse. Once again, we could see evidence of rain that had passed less than an hour before. 

When we arrived back in Fort Collins, we had a final meal to celebrate another successful trip. We stopped at the Hideout Patio Restaurant and Bar for a bite before heading our separate ways. 

Donna and I arrived at our home on the mountain around 8:15 or so. The dog was also very glad to be home. In fact, he hasn't left my side since we got here. 

Pagosa Springs: Parting Preparations

Today is Saturday, our last day in Pagosa Springs. This morning we got moving early enough to catch breakfast at Cafe Colorado. It was very good, but Donna said the green chili was better at Two Chicks and a Hippie.

The day started out cloudy, and it stayed mostly cloudy all day long. The rain stayed mostly north or south of Pagosa, with occasional drops falling. Nothing like yesterday. After breakfast, we went for coffee at Higher Grounds Coffee, then back to the condo to take a few things to UPS. We decided to ship some stuff that we didn't need home. Might as well lighten the load if possible. It wasn't much, but it will shorten the time it takes to load the bikes.

After we finished at the UPS Store, we headed down to the Park to Park Arts & Crafts Festival in downtown Pagosa Springs. They had a small carnival and booths with arts and crafts. It was nice to see arts and crafts that are different than we usually see. We bought a few odds and ends for upcoming birthdays and such for kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids.

Because of where we parked, we had to start back to the condo in the opposite direction with the intent of finding a place to turn around. So we went back to the Malt Shoppe. I ordered an Avalanche (Donna and I shared) and Lin had a cone. We did a little browsing at the shops in the little strip mall while we ate our ice cream.

When we got back to the condo, around 3:30 PM, I did some laundry (did I mention that this place has an apartment sized washer and dryer?) and we started to pack. Dinner tonight was all the goodies that we bought when we got here and haven't consumed yet.

It will be an early night so we can get an early start in the morning. Not too early, though, we want to make sure we don't turn into Popsicles as we travel over Wolf Creek Pass. We plan to dress for the pass as we leave town. It will probably mean roasting when we stop for breakfast on the way out, but at least we'll be warm when we start out.

So, early to bed and a long day riding home. Look for a late post. We plan to ride all the way home tomorrow, so send those good weather thoughts our way!

Addendum: So a few minutes after I wrapped up the computer, Lin called me outside to look at the view. This is what my camera captured.

Pagosa Springs: Two Chicks, A Hippie, and ...

... A rainstorm. Yep, the precipitation started early this morning. We took our time getting ready to go to breakfast and hung out at the condo until the morning rain quit. The ride over to the restaurant (2 Chicks and a Hippie) was just about perfect. The air was fresh, the sun was shining, and the road had (mostly) dried out.

Our timing was great. We had a choice of indoor or outdoor seating – we chose to sit indoors figuring we would be outdoors most of the afternoon. By the time we ordered coffee and breakfast, all of the tables – inside and out – were taken. Since we are coming up on our return trip, we talked about what we wanted and needed to do today and tomorrow. When we finished eating, we made a brief stop to gas the bikes and headed toward Doc's Hawg Shop Service and Repair to get some oil – and what ever else we happened to find.

No sooner did we get out onto US Hwy 160 heading toward Pagosa Springs, then it started to rain. By the time we got three-and-a-half miles up the road, the raindrops were seriously coming down. Time to pull out of the backed-up traffic and find someplace to don the rain gear. Luckily, we found a place that had an overhang we could dress and wait under while the worst of the storm passed. 

When the rain slowed – we could see that it wasn't going to stop for a while – we headed back to the highway and the condo. What we could see of the valley was pretty socked in. No sense in getting more drenched or cold than we already were. 

One interesting effect of the rain is that the geese that had been pervasive at the seventh hole were gone. They had been replaced by a brace of ducks. At one point I saw at least 15 of the little guys out on the green. These three were hanging out on the rough. The one in the back had a hurt leg. (We saw a limping goose the other day, too.)

So, instead of spending the day browsing the Arts & Crafts Fair, we relaxed at the condo and watched Shark Week, slept, grazed, and were generally lazy – you know, typical rainy day stuff. And preparing for our trip home. And hoping that the weather improves in the next two days. All in all, it was a relaxing and lazy day.

Pagosa Springs: Rain, Rest, and Relaxation

So, yesterday, the annual Colorado rainy season began. Around here, the weather-guessers call it the "monsoon season." For those of you who don't live in Colorado it means that our normally dry state gets a lot of rain. Basically what happens is that the seasonal wind patterns shift and moisture from the Gulf of California and the Gulf of Mexico clash and is carried into the desert Southwest. Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Colorado experience a few weeks of daily thunderstorms and occasional heavy rains. National Geographic has a good article about the monsoons that occur around the world, and toward the bottom is an explanation of the North American monsoon.

With the beginning of the summer rainy season in mind, we stayed close to the condo. We went to breakfast at the Cafe Colorado, but by the time we got seated, they were no longer serving breakfast, so we had to change gears and decide what to have for lunch. Needless to say, we were a bit disappointed. While we were having lunch, we watched round one of the daily atmosphere rinse.

By the time we finished eating, the rain had stopped, the sun was out, and the pavement was already starting to dry. (Have I ever mentioned that the weather in Colorado can be a bit schizophrenic?) We hopped on the bikes and went downtown to do a little shopping. By then, the temperature had shot up a good 15° and we worked a little more on our sunburns.

When we'd had enough retail therapy, we went back to the condo for a little relaxation – after all, we are on vacation. Donna checked out the Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom. Unfortunately, she didn't have enough hot water to have a nice, warm, relaxing soak, so had to settle for a luke-cold soak. I did a little yoga and Lin watched the golfers (and round two of the rain) from the deck.

Later in the evening, Donna and I went out to the Sky Ute Casino in Ignacio with Donna's friend, Denise. It's a little tricky getting in and out of the resort, so I ventured out to guide Denise to the condo since she offered to drive us out there. While I was waiting for her (turns out we were at opposite ends of the parking lot), round three of the storms rolled through. Needless to say, I got wet. (OK, not really. I prepared for it and had donned my rain suit before leaving the condo.)

Now, I'm not much of a gambler unless the machines keep me playing for a while. My limit is usually $20. If I lose half of it before we eat, I know what kind of night it's going to be. And last night was one of those nights. It started out well. Fred Flintstone almost doubled my money on my second or third spin, then Barney Rubble took it all back. <sigh> There's a reason I don't have a gambling addiction.

Overall it was a nice time. After we ate, I wandered around the small casino while Donna and Denise migrated from machine to machine for a while. When we had all given enough to the casino we headed back to Pagosa Springs. It's about an hour-long drive from Ignacio back to Pagosa Springs, and it's along one of the most dangerous stretches of highway in the US.

Wildlife is prevalent in the area. Elk, deer, bears, skunks and all kinds of critters live in the San Juan Mountains and Southern Ute Reservation. I am a firm believer in "intention manifestation" (call it prayer if you will). Ever since we had a near miss with a Bambi in Vernal Canyon a few years ago, I have made it a point to project my attention and intention for a wildlife-free road ahead of us. So far, despite the number of miles we have ridden, we have not had another near-miss. Last night, I was projecting like crazy. And it must work, because Denise commented that it was unusual that she wasn't seeing any deer along the road.

Today is July 1, and it's raining. We are thinking about going down to the Pagosa Springs Park to Park Arts & Crafts Festival that starts today and runs through the 4th. More shopping!