Love, Loss, & Lager: Facing unchecked climate change (and another Broncos blowout Super Bowl loss), it’s time to celebrate the things that really matter.
Want to know what sucks? Let’s start with climate change, and the fact that diminished powder days are on the meteorological horizon. Which might not make much of a difference for me and my long-toothed pals who already have a lifetime of waist-deep memories and a few more years of faceshots to look forward to (Ullr willing!). But the next generation will be lucky to be riding refrigerated snow. And if as a parent you aren’t screaming for help to stem that Earth-wide surge in the thermostat, then don’t be surprised if some time in the unwhite future, your kids ask, “What’s a ski lift?”
Then there’s the fact that the Broncos didn’t even show up in the Super Bowl, which also sucked. The U.S. men’s and women’s hockey teams got smoked in the Olympics (thanks for nothing, Canucks). The Nuggets probably couldn’t even beat Duke or Syracuse right now, and because the damn Red Sox won the World Series last fall, it’s at least another year before we can get back to mocking all the misplaced Massholes having a “wicked good time” gyrating to jam bands at Red Rocks.
Phew! I’m glad I got that off my chest. Now let’s switch the focus to what really matters in life.
Love
No shit, right? Sappy as that might sound (the last of the great gonzo journalists, M. John Fayhee, did once accuse me of being “A hopeless romantic”), I do believe it. The absolute best and worst moments of my existence—from breathless euphoria to soul-drowning depression—have been based on how I feel in my heart. And from the loves I have had and lost, whether they be female or canine or familial or friendly, it is through the joy we shared by which I measure myself. So go out and fall in love, with someone or something, because whether it blooms or perishes (it will likely do both), it will be one of the most incredible events in your life.
Loss
Speaking of love, I feel sorry for the people who have never let the timeless ache of loss into their lives. Not to go all Kahlil Gibran on the subject, but sometimes I think the stark surprise of something missing in your personal world is the only way to know if you truly loved it. Or, in the interest of name-dropping more famous authors, it was Ernest Hemingway who said everything that ends leaves a hole in your soul, but if it didn’t matter much then the emptiness fills up by itself. If it did matter, then you have to find something better to replace it. Which, I believe, is also at the basis of what shapes us, and makes us ourselves.
Lager
Beer is the secret for dealing with all of this. Whether it’s intense joy or shocking sorrow, copious amounts of frosty beverages will help you temper any deep feeling’s immediate emotional impact. It can make time stand still when you have something to celebrate, or even disappear for a little while if that’s what you really want. And in the morning, you’re pretty much guaranteed a more visceral regret if you still need something to fight.
Labradors
Along those same lines, a good dog is better than any barfull of booze, because they’re real, and they’re loyal, and they let you at least pretend to steer their lives. I’m partial to any breed of dog with its own mind and its own traits, but from mixed breed to purebred, I have found my own personal peace with Labradors (despite growing up with German shepherds in the house). I love their even tempers, their joy, and their naughty doggie determination to do whatever it takes—begging, stealing or just guilt-tripping you with those soft puppy eyes—to get you to share your snack. If you want to experience true trans-species transcendence, then you need to let a dog into your life.
Music
I read somewhere recently (The New Yorker?) that music is the main reason people think they have a soul. I’m on the side of both the chicken and the egg when it comes to that subject, because there are times when I hear certain music and I feel as if I’m listening to my own personalized soundtrack (especially when it comes to Tom Petty, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Jerry Garcia), and other times when I search out a certain song because I know the feeling it will evoke. You know that moment when the groove starts to take you, and your mind wanders off into the guitars and the lyrics? I love that. And I love it when a new song comes on and I immediately want to hear it again, suddenly full of that sense of possibility and freshness, like how I can’t wait to find out what happens next in life.
Road Trips
Speaking of what happens next, few things in this world hold more promise of spontaneity, adventure, untold beauty and new favorite places like a road trip. If you’re like me, and are starting to feel more than a little confined by your laptop and your desk, then it might be time to consider some serious windshield therapy. Whether it’s a weekend tour through the high country, or a full get-the-hell-out-of-Dodge for the next month or more life-changing event, this could be the perfect time to remind yourself what being in the moment really feels like. Besides, it’s spring, with all the blooming flowers and clean breezes blowing, and no one can resist being outdoors for that.
Making a Difference
Finally, it truly is up to all of us to respect each other, our pets, the wildlife and every stunning inch of this startlingly gorgeous planet. So whether it’s planting a tree, giving a bum a buck, adopting a dog, or whatever, think of some nice way you can improve the world. When you accomplish it, what you’ll really find out is how much you improved yourself.
Peter Kray is EO’s editor-at-large and co-founder of the Gear Institute. His first novel The God of Skiing is due out soon.
