Get real?

It isn’t always easy at 9,000 feet in a tiny mountain village but when it’s sweet, it’s sweet. This weekend is forecasted to be sweet and spring will come just in time to send some of the local natives out into the “real world.” Crested Butte will hold a graduation Saturday and the community is invited to attend.
This class of 33 will leave the small mountain village we call home. Given the weather of late, they probably aren’t all that sad. But they leave a special place that they will carry with them forever. It is a place where they are actually known as people and not just anonymous kids hanging out in the mall.
They may not know it yet but Crested Butte will always be inside of them. There is the small town attitude that is both positive and negative. There is the small town compassion that is special in places like this. There is the wild outdoors where bears and foxes and mountain lions actually do roam just out the back door. Granted, this has to be a bit of a fairy tale place to grow up in and while they might not always appreciate it, they will come around in the long run.
We wish them luck as they head to jobs and colleges across the country. When they come up against peers from bigger cities, our children will be prepared academically. They will be prepared socially and they will be prepared athletically. This is a tribute to the teachers and citizens of this community.
It is not always an easy ride in a small community and I could understand the desire of an 18-year-old to get the heck way south of the Four-way. But being raised in a town with no stoplights and adults who keep an eye on the kids, there is accountability. And that accountability is something that will set them apart from many of the people they meet in the “real world.” What is better or more “real” than that?
I know these kids and they are good people. They are not afraid. They will look you in the eye and not shy away from a discussion. Not every kid out there is like that. Growing up outside the “real world” has its advantages and these kids will eventually realize those blessings. If you have a choice, why not choose to have a childhood outside of the “real world?” These 33 may not have had a choice but they’ll look back some day and appreciate that they grew up here.
Good luck to this next batch of Crested Butte adults as they begin a new chapter. May they not stray too far into the realness of the “real world” but hold on to some of the magic of a small mountain village with more bears in town than stop lights.