Yuppieville

Just to keep you guessing I'm going to throw in a blog about Boulder, CO and get back to "Legends of the Fall" another day. Boulder has consistently been voted one of the most "liveable" cities in America by favorite magazines, journals and travel guides. What makes it so enticing is the affluent lifestyle afforded by many of its residents, its' proximity to the Rocky Mtns, and its liberal and progressive politics. All of which I noticed and admired to some degree. I had read in their chamber of commerce site that 80% of the population in Boulder is between 25 - 40 years old. So when my friend Penelope and I went walking in the pedestrian mall on Pearl Street (after eating lunch at the awesome and huge Whole Foods Market)we noticed many individuals who seem to fit this description. Every restaurant and retail store was promoting "green" policies, there were posters for yoga classes on each corner, everyone seemed fashionably dressed in chic post hippie style(well, except for the one apparent homeless man lying on a bench - then again he could have be an itinerant street musician)and many were enjoying the views from the sidewalk cafes and park benches - next to artistically created rock water sculptures. I know I'm sounding a bit sarcastic and I don't mean to be really - although - as my friend, Penelope, pointed out - one of her impressions of Boulder is that "everyone is competing to be the most enlightened". I can't say that I would go that far; however, there was a sameness to what we saw and although on any ordinary day I love sidewalk cafes, organic food co-ops, bookstores, intelligent conversations about liberalism in politics and life - there was something a bit unnerving about having it all in one place and so much of it at one time. I guess it reminded me about the adage "too much of a good thing". Is this making any sense? My reaction still baffles me - maybe it's due to spending the previous day in the deserted plains of Wyoming, I don't know, I'll have to sleep on it and ponder it more on way to southwestern Colorado tomorrow enroute to visit my daughter, Jenn, in Durango.