One more thing I might mention: It doen't matter how good your photgraphic equipment is - Unless (and maybe even if) you're a professional photographer, the very best pictures will be the ones taken by the camera of your mind. Those are the ones that will remain with you your whole life long, no matter what happens to the ones stuffed into albums and shoeboxes and shuffled from place to place to eventually be lost in the quest for the future.
I can close my eyes right now and be back in the glade at Deadman's Gulch even though I haven't seen the pictures I took there in almost 15 years.
Look, see, absorb and then, no matter where you go the mountains will always be a part of you and you of them...
One of my brothers used to live outside of Durango as well. He worked for a time as a hunting guide for Rocky Mountain Outfitters in Pagosa Springs. Several years before he moved there, I spent almost an entire summer backpacking alone and loosely following the Rocky Mountain Trail from Durango to Denver. One of the greatest summers of my life until I moved to Tennessee last year.
I've also spent time in the Wind River and Bridger Mountains in Wyoming, the Sawtooths in Idaho and up on the San Rafael Swell in Utah, as well as down in the 4 corners country. The American West is just nothing short of amazing! (But you have to like lonely country!)
Something that makes me go "Hmmmm" is the fact that I'm a guy and I still can't figure out why so many guys insist on posting pictures where they're not wearing a shirt - If I were a lady, my first thought would be "If he can't afford a shirt, can he really afford me?"
All the same, welcome to forums! Have fun! (Who knows, maybe you'll get lucky enough to find a woman who can't afford pants!)
The Black Canyon of the Gunnison is downright awe inspiring. Grand Mesa can be pretty fantastic as well. Down in the slickrock country around Rico and Delores, there are photo ops around nearly every bend. Same goes for the drive along US550 from Montrose through Ouray and over the top to Durango - It's called "The highway that runs through the clouds" for a darn good reason. And while you're in that part of country, take a ride on the Silverton train from Durango - I promise you won't regret it.
Mesa Verde is pretty darned neat, as is 7 Falls just outside Colorado Springs, but they've both become too commercialized for my taste. The Great Sand Dunes Nat'l Monument can be both awe inspiring and a little daunting, but if you're a backpacker and have the resources/personal abilities to cross the dunes into the mountains beyond you'll wonder why you didn't pack more film.
Dinosaur Nat'l Monument to the west of you has some really neat, almost moonscape terrain features, but it's also high desert, so be prepared to bake during the day and freeze at night if you're backpacking in.
Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park also has some pretty awesome scenery, but a lot of people go there and it's nearly been photographed into submission.
And if it's ease of access you're after, then I-70 runs right through Glenwood Canyon - 13 miles of 'strain your neck to see the sky,' pure, glorious ruggedness (which just happens to have a major interstate highway at the bottom).
I could go on and on - The Spanish Peaks, Garden of the Gods, Devil's Thumb, Thumb Butte, Cache La Poudre River, McClure Pass, The La Plata mountains, Rollins Pass... I've hiked, backpacked, ridden and driven thousands of miles in Colorado and there's always a new vista waiting to be seen; One more eagle to be glimpsed soaring amongst the peaks... One more Aspen grove alongside one more stream to offer shade and music to one who takes the time to sit and listen...
Unfortunately, 'truth' is, was, and always will be, subjective and open to interpretation.
There are also differences between 'whole truths' and 'partial truths.' For instance, someone can put on their profile, under body type "A few extra pounds." And it will be the truth, but not the whole truth because they failed to mention that the "few extra pounds" are on top of all the other extra pounds that they've aquired over the years. Someone else may put "toned and firm," neglecting to mention that they were looking at their right arm and crotch when they made the selection and the whole truth is that the rest of them is neither toned nor firm.
To go further, I could say that I am 47 years old and alone and that would technically be truthful because my wife is in another room as I type this. But it would also be deceitful, because the truth is that I have not felt alone since I met her, no matter the distance between us.
Having said all that, I believe that there is a difference between "BS'ing" and lying. To give an example: I write and tell stories. And it is in the best interest of myself and those who listen to/read my stories to make them believable. So I try to present them in such a manner that folks don't realize it is simply a story until I reach the punchline. Are they truthful? Well, most do contain bits and pieces of factual material, but on the whole they are fiction. Technically this makes them a lie. But they are not told/written with any intention other than to entertain, educate or enlighten. Whereas lies are nearly always told with malicious intent or an attempt to gain something one doesn't believe they could attain if they simply told the truth.
Truth is everything you mentioned above and more. To me, it implies a wholeness and completeness of honesty and the best way to recognize it is to practice it.
An Elderly couple was celebrating their sixtieth anniversary. The couple had married as childhood sweethearts and had moved back to their old neighborhood after they retired.
Holding hands they walked back to their old school. It was not locked, so they entered, and found the old desk they'd shared, where Andy had carved "I love you, Sally."
On their way back home, a bag of money fell out of an armored car, practically landing at their feet. Sally quickly picked it up, but not sure what to do with it, they took it home. There, she counted the money--fifty- thousand dollars.
Andy said, "We've got to give it back." Sally said, "Finders keepers." She said, then put the money back in the bag and hid it in their attic.
The next day, two FBI men were canvassing the neighborhood looking for the money, and knocked on the door.
"Pardon me, but did either of you find a bag that fell out of an armored car yesterday?"
Sally said, "No." Andy said, "She's lying. She hid it up in the attic." Sally said, "Don't believe him, he's getting senile."
The agents turn to Andy and began to question him. One says: "Tell us the story from the beginning" Andy said, "Well, when Sally and I were walking home from school yesterday . . "
The first FBI guy turns to his partner and says, "OK, We're outta here."
Everything I've said, seen, done and/or experienced has gone into to making me who I am today. And I've finally gotten to the point where I really like me!
Doesn't mean that I don't have a few regrets, but still I wouldn't change a single thing. And besides, if you spend your life bemoaning the past, then your future ain't gonna' be much to brag about either!
Sure, it can exist, but when it doesn't, it seems that there are only two alternatives; Hate or apathy. After much soul searching, I've discovered that I'm not truly capable of hating anyone. That leaves apathy - Zero feelings, bad, good or otherwise. I simply do not care...
That may be oversimplifying things, but again, that's it in a nutshell.
I haven't seen my ex since the day of our divorce, nor do I care to. Seems that most think that the opposite of love is hate, but I believe that the opposite of love is apathy. So, in a nutshell, I simply do not care one way or another where she is or what she's doing.
1. Even the "American Indians" came from somewhere else originally. America has no "truly native" people in the sense that you are alluding to. 2. In the 1800's, a "native American" was considered to be any white male born on this continent. 3. It's my belief that Theodore Roosevelt put it best when he said:
(Addressing the Knights of Columbus in New York City - October 12, 1915)
"There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. When I refer to hyphenated Americans, I do not refer to naturalized Americans. Some of the very best Americans I have ever known were naturalized Americans, Americans born abroad. But a hyphenated American is not an American at all.
This is just as true of the man who puts "native" before the hyphen as of the man who puts German or Irish or English or French before the hyphen. Americanism is a matter of the spirit and of the soul. Our allegiance must be purely to the United States. We must unsparingly condemn any man who holds any other allegiance.
But if he is heartily and singly loyal to this Republic, then no matter where he was born, he is just as good an American as any one else.
The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities, an intricate knot of German-Americans, Irish-Americans, English- Americans, French-Americans, Scandinavian- Americans, or Italian-Americans, each preserving its separate nationality, each at heart feeling more sympathy with Europeans of that nationality than with the other citizens of the American Republic.
The men who do not become Americans and nothing else are hyphenated Americans; and there ought to be no room for them in this country. The man who calls himself an American citizen and who yet shows by his actions that he is primarily the citizen of a foreign land, plays a thoroughly mischievous part in the life of our body politic. He has no place here; and the sooner he returns to the land to which he feels his real heart-allegiance, the better it will be for every good American."
I was thinking that this topic could probably benefit from the perspectives of some of the new posters in here. So even though it hasn't yet been 6 months, I thought I'd give it a rather shameless BUMP!
I've stayed out of this until now and as soon as I speak my piece, I'll be out of it again. Having said that...
You really want to know what's wrong with us Americans?
We're too damned nice! We've spent millions of dollars and souls baling out the rest of the world whether they wanted it or not. And then stood back and turned the other cheek when we were told how damned stupid we were for lending a helping hand. That's part of the problem!
But mostly - as a country - we lack humility and we lack the perspective that distance gives a person. And we're proud! Case in point: (And I'm willing to bet that nearly everyone else here has had a similar experience!)
Several years ago, one of my brothers, who was living in Idaho at the time, was having some personal problems. Believe me, I was quick with unsolicited advice; I told him to do this, this and this and asked why he hadn't done this, that and/or the other. It was easy to offer the advice because I had the clarity of perspective from a distance.
Six months later, when I found myself in almost exactly the same situation, it was a whole different damned story! I didn't know what the hell to do or where to turn and I darn sure didn't want anyone else telling me how to solve my problems. After all, I'd handled everything that had come my way to that point and taken care of other people's problems as well, and I'd done it damn near my whole life! I was invincible!
...Except that I wasn't... I lacked humility and I lacked the perspective of distance. But I was still strong. So rather than actually volunteer to help, others stood at a distance and gave advice which I was in no mood to listen to. I eventually recovered on my own, but it took a heavy dose of humility and looking at myself through the eyes of others to make it happen.
I'm still quick to offer a helping hand - whether it's wanted or not - but I no longer believe myself to be invincible. And that makes me even stronger.
We Americans, as individuals, are deeply humble. But our government is not, although I believe we could remedy that with a few well placed butt kickings. Will we? Probably not until it's damn near too late. But we will get through this! And ya' know what? I still can't think of anywhere I'd rather live or any place I'd rather swear allegiance to than the good ol' USA!
"If you don't read the newspaper, you are uninformed, if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed." Mark Twain
Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress....but then I repeat myself. Mark Twain
I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. Winston Churchill
A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. George Bernard Shaw
A liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money. G. Gordon Liddy
Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner. James Bovard, Civil Libertarian (1994)
Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries. Douglas Casey, Classmate of Bill Clinton at Georgetown University
Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys. P.J. O'Rourke, Civil Libertarian
Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else. Frederic Bastiat, French Economist (1801-1850)
Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it. Ronald Reagan (1986)
I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts. Will Rogers
If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free! P. J. O'Rourke
In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other. Voltaire (1764)
Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you! Pericles (430 B.C.)
No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session. Mark Twain (1866 )
Talk is cheap...except when Congress does it.
The government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other. Ronald Reagan
I posted this back in September and couldn't revive it, but thought it was good enough to bring back anyway. Enjoy!
A teacher is explaining biology to her 4th grade students. “Human beings are the only animals that stutter,” she says. Little Johnny raises his hand. “I had a kitty-cat who stuttered,” he volunteered.
The teacher, knowing how precious some of these stories could become, asked young Johnny to describe the incident.
“Well,” he began, “I was in the back yard with my kitty and the Rottweiler that lives next door got a running start and before we knew it, he jumped over the fence into our yard!
“That must’ve been scary,” said the teacher.
“It sure was!” said Johnny. “My kitty raised his back, went ‘Fffff, Fffff, Fffff’… and before he could say “F*ck!”, the Rottweiler ate him!”
I'm sorry, but being a practical joker myself, I just kept thinking "Aw c'mon! There's no way someone this smart would get in a situation like that! There's gotta' be a punchline coming!" (I wasn't disappointed!) I've gotta' admit though, that I've chuckled even harder after seeing how many did fall for it!
I wish that everyone here on CS can find the happiness and fulfillment that I have found with Jackson.
It's so refreshing and rewarding to finally find the other half of your soul, that it defies description.
When it finally happens, it's nothing at all like you thought it would be - It's so much more than anything you've ever imagined, and you wonder how you have ever lasted this long without it.
It is, indeed, the stuff that dreams are made of and songs are written for. And you'll know when you find it, because you'll finally feel whole and complete for the first time in your life!
Awww... I sure hope you folks find it because, man alive, it sure is a neat feeling!
Well, I've got a handful of harmonicas lying around and a beat up 100 year old banjo in the corner which I play for two reasons - Pleasure and revenge!
Being a mimic, I can do reasonable impressions of a couple dozen different artists/styles from James Taylor to Merle Haggard...
The_Kansan Forum Posts (3,395)
RE: how do you know that you are in love
It's a dilemma - Kind've like being a hunter: Those who are can never fully explain, and those who aren't can never fully understand...