The Rich, The Poor, & The Great Outdoors.

Working in the heart of downtown, its hard not to miss the socio-economic differences that stand out so starkly. One moment you are walking in Larimer square, ladies' at valet parking donned in fur coats, expensive lofts, and restaurants with reservations booked for months; and a few blocks down the way a man walks by hoping to find sanctuary in a warm shelter bed that night, no shower for days, and only a few bucks in his pocket which may be just enough for a warm meal. Every city has it,  this high and low, the well off and the less fortuned, only blocks apart. I find myself in the middle, seeing and knowing both, and living my life amongst the two. What I find is that apart from it all there is the outdoors, the wide expanse, the places free of reservations, free of dress codes, and open to all. I love these places, so wide and open and free (in more ways than one). And more than just a love for the great outdoors, I love that there are no opposites here, that there are no huge gaps where one has more than the other when walking through a field of wildflowers, or up a snowy pass, or near a bustling creek. Everyone has the same amount, when it comes to the great outdoors. Like it's supposed to be this way. And when everything that creates the highs and lows, rich and poor, fortunate and not--when that is all stripped away; creation is still left standing, ready to be explored, and it doesn't matter if you are donning a fur coat or only a few bucks in your pocket--everyone an have the same amount, the same sunshine, the same cricket noises, and the same wind whirling by.