Mountain Time and other Conundrums

Ah the mountains. Ah living in the mountains when you're not originally from them....

Can we say "an experience" boys and girls?

As that is, in fact, the rub. There is a huge difference between "mountain folk" and the "Johnny/Jonnie come latelys". You know. Me. The folks who have moved to the mountains sometime after they were born. Well, to be honest, it's more along the lines of that they moved to the mountains sometime after they became an adult. And no, I will not argue about or even define what "an adult" is or when one becomes one.

Ah screw it. You know I can never resist an argument. So I will in fact define what and when an adult is. It is when you.... You know - ah, screw it again. I have no clue. Can't even pretend I have a clue. An adult is someone "generally" mature and independent. Someone who "generally" has had their personality and values and character formed. So it happens sometime "generally" after 18. But the truth is, not everyone ever actually becomes "an adult" . Ever. So that means I have to admit I have no final definition or leg -- make that soap box -- to stand on.... At all. Shocker I know. No, not that I have no leg or soap box to stand on -- but that I'm admitting it....  

And the truth is, I also have no leg -- make that soap box -- to stand on in terms of whether I may be mountain folk or not. No matter how much I'd like to claim to now be mountain folk -- as I did in my Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes blog post back in November 2011 (!!! More than two years ago!!! Man was I pathetic grasping wanna-be joiner...) -- the simple truth is that I am not. For one very fundamental reason: I still find the actions and decisions of mountain folks to be....odd. Confusing at times (times???). Conundrums in fact.

For example, yesterday, in my blog post The Waiting Game, I referenced the idea of "mountain time". This basically comes down to the idea of "it will happen when it happens". Oh no, not in reference to some philosophical Zen state of being -- though I am quite certain that me obtaining that state would help me handle the waiting -- but in the sense of "they will get to it when they damn well want to get to it."

They may be busy -- picking up a new project in the meantime, or, much more likely, skiing or snowboarding; they may forget about you -- distracted by skiing or snowboarding or alcohol or a new project that came up in the 10 minutes since they've talked to you; they may just....want to get to it when they damn well want to get to it.

Obviously this is all so very clear and obvious and understandable to every one -- except me. Clearly I am the idiot. Right?

Um really. No agreeing there. It was a rhetorical question. Do you know what rhetorical means???  Seriously people.... Sheez.  

And so I get driven to despair waiting around for folks to show up when they said they'd show up. And no one else thinks I have a leg -- a soap box -- to stand on when I complain that it's ridiculous. Inconsiderate! Rude! Fancy terrible with raisins in it!

Okay, I'll get back down off the soap box... But only to point out another, related conundrum of mountain folk.

Virtually every one I have met in the mountains not only owns a cell phone, but also uses it regularly to text. In some cases, this is because cell reception can be so erratic in some of the more isolated areas that texts are the only form of communication that you can ensure will go through. In fact, it is why I finally added a texting plan to my own cell phone plan.

Yet despite this fact, very few of these mountain folks seem to realize that one can use a text to alert others of your arrival or lack thereof.... You know. That little thing called "providing notice"? Or perhaps common courtesy?

Sigh. Grrrrrr.....

But that's apparently just it. Where I come from, alerting someone to your status is considered, well, par for the course. Standard operating procedure. Basic, well, manners. In the mountains, par for the course, standard operating procedure, basic manners, is to understand that there is a lot going on, many projects -- and yes, activities -- that require one's attention, and well.... They will get to you when they damn well get to you.

Why is this important? And why am I noting it not -- entirely -- as a criticism? Because mountain folk behave this way due to the fact that this is why you choose to live in the mountains: there is a lot more going on, many projects -- and yes, especially!, activities -- that require one's attention. You don't live in the mountains to work yourself to the bone. You don't live in the mountains to lose touch with yourself, to lose touch with your soul. You live in the mountains to gain touch with yourself. To discover your soul.

I guess that means that, after all, these are not conundrums. Well, not for mountain folk. Only for me. As clearly it means I am the one who needs to learn, to change. I am the one who needs to continue getting in touch with myself, continue discovering my soul.

Or some sort of crazy, bull shit, yada yada, corny crap like that....