Telluride's Ecological Economy (in the yin and yang of things)

“Man did not create the web of life—he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.” -Chief Seattle

Telluride, Colorado is a quirky, comfy mountain town, hovering about 10,000 feet up on the staggering slopes of the Rockies. We gleefully revisited one of our favorite places in October to host a Thai Massage Seminar and were greeted by yellow autumn leaves, snow flurries and the welcome sign to the city warned: “No Egos Allowed.”
Telluride is a paradox of stunning natural vistas interspersed by multi-million dollar 2nd, 3rd or 4th homes of the wealthy. Mixed in this affluent dichotomy of nature and capitalistic acquisition lies colorful artisans, Victorian era buildings and an apparent liberal bending culture. In the winter, the vacationing snowbums ascend to some of the best powder on the planet while in the summer months, festival after festival offer eclectic venues for everyone: Jazz Festivals, Mushroom Festivals, Fine Wine and Gourmet Food Festivals, and Blues and Brews Festivals, to name a few. During our mountain retreat this October, we were privy to Telluride Institute’s free Ideas Festival, which discussed cutting edge perspectives and actions to encourage sustainability for Earth.
We attended keynote speaker Bernard Lietaer’s conversation entitled “The Future of Money.” Lietaer knows something about money—he helped create, introduce and assure the success of the “Euro” and is currently working with the Chinese government to create a dual economy in the largest population on the planet. Although we didn’t follow all of this economist’s discussion, we thought it was very cool when he codified economies in terms of “Yin” or “Yang.” What was even more impressive was when he asked how many audience members understood the concepts of yin and yang, and EVERYBODY raised their hand: that’s a pretty radical cross section of America!
Imagine if all Americans were familiar with the concept of yin and yang, the interconnectedness of complementary opposites. Imagine if everyone got it! That nothing is purely black or white, good or bad, us versus them. There’s always a greater holistic vision that sees, for example, that a black and white photograph is neither black nor white. Much like life and our experience, the picture is shades of grey. Thank goodness for attitudes of inclusion, cooperation and compassion which help beautify our world with spectacular colors beyond the cut and dry, black or white.
We felt so fortunate to share in Telluride’s natural and cultural beauty exemplified by the autumnal transition and the ingratiating hosts in town and in our seminar. We’re so stoked about our next encounter with this wonderful land, where Mother Earth sings her sweat songs, and her inhabitants are listening.