Commuter Musings

Among the many advantages of living in the mountains is that the trek to work, or to "the city," is by no means the regular "commute" that one normally thinks of. Rather, the drive indulges me with views of the snowcapped Continental Divide...a glimpse of the elk or deer, fox or coyote...or rare mountain lion...which call this area home, and a chance to watch eagles, hawks, falcons and ravens gliding, dancing and soaring as they go about their own daily activities uninterrupted by man.
Of particular pleasure has been the chance to observe the yearly return and departure cycle of a pair of bald eagles and their offspring who, about 6 years ago, picked the perfect locale for their yearly summer sojourn...a lakeside perch atop a pole, complete with mountain views, an abundant forest, and plenty of fish and other delicacies for their enjoyment. It's a spot I definitely would have picked to raise my children in...
Every April, the eagles return. This year they seemed to arrive a little earlier than usual - perhaps having missed the beauty and calm of their summer home. I have come to rely on this yearly cycle and am always amazed at how quickly time passes between their departure in the fall and their return. When their heads first become visible within their massive nest, it speaks that snowmelt and spring are just around the bend. Last year, shortly after their return, a huge plastic bag was visible billowing from the front of the nest. The irony of this image was quite apparent...plastic - on top of man's list of environmentally polluting wastes, being used by the most sacred of creation's creatures to complement its home, perhaps providing an experimental waterproof base... and soon set my mind wandering off in one of its favorite activities...the internal debate. Yes, the eagle's adaptability to the use of modern "resources" seemed a natural progression and maybe even a good thing...but was the blistering Colorado sun releasing the carcinogens from the plastic into the nest...endangering this generation of eaglets?
Other parts of my drive down and through the mountain also present a chance to cautiously engage in and out of this mental meandering. This two lane "highway" for example with its beautiful views, gushing mountain stream on one side and massive rock formations on the other dwarfing the car and its occupants...is seemingly peaceful on most occasions...little traffic and no "jams" to deal with...only the rare, "irate" driver or potential "road rage" incident to contend with.... If one looks carefully enough it is easy to transport back into time and see moccasined feet, horses with travoises, and early wagons arduously journeying the same "road" up and down the canyon. Underlying the beauty and the calm, however, is the knowledge that for many this journey has been the last...untold numbers have been claimed by the stream from underestimate the force and power of its waters, by the the rocks as they attempt to climb the massive boulders lining the canyon or due to the rockslides, and by the road, the curves of which are so dangerous to the unsuspecting driving at too high speeds. In my 24 years alone of driving up and down these canyons, I have witnessed untold numbers of cars crashed into the unforgiving waters of the seemingly harmless stream; I have seen the canyon raging with fire; I have watched a propane truck lose its brakes and fly across the narrow stream, coming to an explosive rest on the other side of the bank...setting its driver's spirit free and the waters on fire...
These events are my constant reminders of the duality in life...and that there's usually more to a situation or a place than is seen on the surface. Although seeing the "bad" along with the good has often brought me the label of "pessimist" I prefer to think that it's simply a matter of seeing things realistically, not negatively... and of always being informed, ready and prepared to choose or deal with the turn of events which inevitably balance our lives...