funny story?

i think this is kind of funny.  a couple of days ago i was talking to a young couple who have been in town for about 6 months. one of them works on the big mountain, so we ended up discussing issues and policies concerning the resort.  they were both quite defensive towards anything critical about how the big mountain is run.  this reminded me of when i first moved up here. a couple people i became friends with early on, had decent jobs at the resort and were very defensive towards criticism.  only after a few years, when they could no longer take the BS of resort management, and had moved on, were they able to see how perhaps their views had been clouded by their jobs.  one of the beautiful things about this country, and most any solid democracy in the world, is freedom of speech. it is in our constitution. 

but what was really funny to me, was the consistent comparisons to Colorado, from where they had moved.  because parking at resorts in colorado is worse than what we have, we should be thankful for that. because uphill traffic is more limited in colorado, we should be thankful for that.  no matter where the discussion turned, it had to be compared to colorado.  and guess what? we just don't compare to colorado. that is why so many of us moved here.  so why is that funny.  well i moved here in the fall of 1991, after 13 years in colorado (yes i am getting old, and with 50 just around the corner, i can no longer deny this fact), and that is how i was then.  in a long ago discussion with Westin, i was the one comparing everything to colorado.  a discussion he brings back to my attention every year or two.  so now, after over 18 years, i apologize for my ignorance and condenscending manner.  WF and Mt. are great and beautiful on their own merits.  for what we have that is so great, we compare favorably to so many places, and though we do not need to brag about it, we can relish in it.  but if there is something better somewhere that we can do something about (ex.  i mentioned how great parking is at fernie, but this was apparently unfair, as it is canada?), why not aspire to greater things.  and if another place is better, than f-ing move there.