There is a divide rising in this community, one that echoes the many dichotomies that are fracturing this country, splitting it in two and then two again.\u00a0 This is a divide that is not new to this Valley, that existed from its founding, but one that is exacerbated by the unprecedented moment in which we live. \u00a0It is artificial divide between \u201cus\u201d and \u201cthem,\u201d when it is
\n\u201cwe\u201d that is the only reality.<\/p>\n
The Vail Valley has always been a locus for migrants; those leaving their homelands for the promises of a freer, healthier, better life.\u00a0 Some stay very temporarily, for a brief recreational respite, an escape that leaves them rejuvenated.\u00a0 Others plant their roots, dig into the community, raise their kids, and watch their grandchildren hit lines that they once thought were impossible.\u00a0 The interface between these two species of migrants has always been equal parts fraught, fantastic, and fascinating.<\/p>\n
In the wake of the coronavirus, with the wholescale reevaluation of priorities, mountain towns have seen a more permanent influx.\u00a0 Whether it is tourists that are staying for two months instead of a week, or second-home owners contemplating a switch to first homes, the balance is once more shifting.\u00a0 With this adjustment comes the corresponding friction accompanying any change, a building of resentment, both valid and overblown.<\/p>\n
In this time of quarantine, when seclusion is necessary and human contact is epidemiologically unwise, it is only natural for residents to be protective of their space.\u00a0 Emotions are heightened by the stresses of the unknown and of total disarray.\u00a0 The feeling of invasion is bolstered by the fear of viral overrun, not irrational given that the incoming parties come here to escape their own COVID hotspots.\u00a0 But these concerns cannot completely outweigh our Valley\u2019s longstanding predilection to hospitality.\u00a0 It is our lifeblood, both financially and spiritually.\u00a0 We cannot be rude and jaded; we must be optimistic and friendly.\u00a0 That is who we are.<\/p>\n
Hospitality has its limits, cannot be abused, lest it be considered exploitation.\u00a0 I have personally been privy to some interactions with out-of-towners that have been downright outrageous, blatant transgressions of decency that I have never seen here before.\u00a0 Even accounting for recency bias, it seems particularly ridiculous right now.\u00a0 Unsafe, disrespectful, and entitled behavior on the part of visitors has left residents dumbfounded and frustrated and prickly.<\/p>\n
Two populations that are already prone to animosity, who are now more susceptible to offense, are now competing over more scarce resources in real estate, restaurant tables, trails, and open spaces.\u00a0 It is not a tenable situation.\u00a0 The most immediate solution is to realize that everyone is just a person, not a local or a tourist or a Texan or a crusty old ski bum.\u00a0 Each human that comes to this Valley does so in order to be awed, whether for the first or the millionth time.\u00a0 That is what unifies us.<\/p>\n
We have the means for d\u00e9tente, and should have the will.\u00a0 Permanent inhabitants: take a step back, take a deep breath, see the bigger picture, experience empathy, consider the possibilities.\u00a0 Visitors and other new arrivals:\u00a0 understand that you are a guest in the home of others and act accordingly.\u00a0 Invest in this community, and not just financially.\u00a0 This means not only extra helpings of courtesies, of tips, of conscientiousness.\u00a0 It also requires getting involved in local non-profits, in volunteering, in adding to the discourse, in contributing to the academics and social lives of our children.<\/p>\n
There is no us, there is no them, we are all in this together.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"