"If A equals success, then the formula is: A = X + Y + Z, where X is work, Y is play, and Z is keep your mouth shut." ~Albert Einstein
Hmmm. And I thought Albert Einstein was just some physicist/philosopher who was one of the most influential people of all time. I think from this quote of the day he is also part comedian.
First, the pictures. From yesterdays blog (Day 40) I told you I would post pictures from the January 1st 2010 NHL Winter Classic that I attended at Fenway Park in Boston. Remember, click on the pictures and they should increase to a larger size....so you can see more detail. A little description of the pics:
Picture #1 (left) - This picture is from the center field grandstand of Fenway. Liam and I sat there, but moved ourselves to standing room, closer to the ice, at the beginning of the second period. Cool thing about the Fenway set up is that not only did they have the NHL ice for the game, but they also had a kids ice rink (maybe two) set up in the outfield. During the pre-game there were kids games going on. They really did an admirable job making a baseball ballpark into a hockey atmosphere. Probably cost a couple million dollars (building of ice included) but the NHL shelled it out to Boston.
Picture #2 (right) - Can you guess? Yes, this was the celebration right after the overtime goal that gave Boston the 3-2 win. Great goal by Marco Sturm....off a brilliant set up by Patrice Bergeron. Wish I got an action picture of the goal. You also get a glimpse of the infamous Green Monster in the background of this pic.
Ok. So what does Mr. Einstein's quote have to do with my life? Here's how it does. As I have come to know the great LITTLE town of Telluride (population 2,200) there are several things that give it its character. One such thing is its eclectic mix of people. Not visitors, but residents. It has prominent business people, very talented builders/architects/etc, young people, old people, lazy people, hippies, laid back people (not too many stressed) and one constant unique thing of ALL nice people. If any of these things were missing, then Telluride would not be Telluride. But because the groups of people that live here are so different in personality Einstein's formula works in a place like this. Other places too, but I have never seen it have to work more than here. In essence, with Einstein's formula in mind, people come to Telluride to play. This mountain, in the summer and winter, has so much to offer. But in order to play, people here have to work. Skiing and living are expensive in the winter months. Work here is tricky. You get a winter job and that's all it's for. Come summer, you find something else. I have found more people who live, work and play...and do it from pay check to pay check. It's a way of life here. I think about this concept more and more as I am here. I lived, worked and played at a much higher stress level then many people here. Could that have been different or is that just a factor of being in Boston? Is it a factor of the profession I chose to be in? Is it just me? I was comfortable financially, busy socially, but I will be the first to admit I did not wake up and do cartwheels on the way to my job.
The last piece of Einstein's formula is the humor piece. "...Z is keep your mouth shut" he says. It's not like Telluride is the only place where a statement like that is true, but I have learned in a short amount of time that you can bury yourself quick if you open your mouth the wrong way. And NO I have not learned by my own actions! I have learned from meeting and conversing with some of the fine people that are both established and extremely helpful to making me feel welcome here. I'm sure you understand what I am saying about "small town gossip", but if you have never lived in a small town then you probably get it, but have not experienced it. One common example here is with people who are young (20-27ish years of age) that come here to ski. Ultimate goal is to work for the mountain so the ski pass is free, otherwise the money you make goes to the $90+ per ski ticket price tag. If you screw up at one job you can kiss goodbye about a dozen other opportunities. Why? Because everyone knows everyone....especially managers of on mountain jobs. Anyway, these younger ones are the ones who party a lot, show up late for work, or don't show up for work at all. They are a little more forgetful, a lot less organized and hangovers are still bearable. And this is a complete generalization by the way. I have met some very driven and successful younger people here. Contrary to the younger thinking, I have also met some 50+ year old "ski bums" who also live pay check to pay check, party a lot and are happy as hell. Even these 50+ year old people find ways to lose jobs every year, sometimes several per year. It's just the way it is with people. Everyone is different. And in the end one thought keeps burning in my mind as I think about 1) my past, 2) the people and my time here, and 3) all of the family and friends that I have everywhere in the world:
Try and be as happy as you can in where you live, what you do and who you choose to spend time with.
It's not exactly what Albert Einstein says, but his formula is certainly a part of it. And think about this too. The internet did not exist when Einstein was alive. And now with the internet people have all the reason more to be successful while keeping their mouths shut. The guy really was a genius! In non internet life though, you can very easily become unsuccessful opening your mouth the wrong way.
I hope you have learned a little bit more about Telluride. It was fun sharing. I hope this blog finds you well and good night from Telluride.
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