Rugged Individualism

Spring has been slow to arrive out West. Winter has grudgingly given way to the first hints of warmer weather to come. I've spent the last couple of weeks running in the inter-mountain region of the West and have had to deal with snowfall from the 11,312 ft Monarch Pass in Colorado to the Magic and Treasure Valleys of Idaho. Wildlife seemed to be dealing with the frigid temperatures rather well and their activities indicated that this cold, wintry weather would soon pass. Canadian Geese were paired up in the Arkansas and Gunnison Rivers. Mule deer grazed along the roadsides at last light as they gorged themselves on the young growth sprouting along my asphalt pathway. Interestingly, predators were relatively absent. I saw a couple of eagles, some hawks and not much else. I wonder if the coyotes are beginning to den up? Songbirds had not yet arrived so the morning breeze remained quiet. Perhaps the rambunctious melody of life will soon fill the air.

Unfortunately, the airwaves of our great nation have been filled with political bickering and the dysfunction of Hollywood. Why are we more interested in the bizarre activity surrounding the body of Anna Nicole Smith or, who gets voted off of American Idol? Why do so many of us look to comedians masquerading as political commentators for affirmation of our political views? Why do many of the watchers of ABC's ,The View, believe that an openly gay, loud mouthed woman speaks for the left and a skinny, in eloquent winner of a reality TV show represents the right? If I knew the answer to even one of these questions, I too could market myself as an analyst and join the fray in an attempt to garner a following amongst the uninformed masses. Is the availability of time an issue or, does the public no longer care about its responsibility to the growth of our culture?

Our country has a long standing heritage of what some have called "rugged individualism". We have always admired the frontier spirit. Those who go it alone have always been respected. Should we not also consider the open frontier of our minds? These ideas are not new. The Transcendentalists of the 1840's asked these same questions. Unfortunately, many of their questions fell on deaf ears. With the advent of modern technology and the easy access to information there is no longer an excuse to remain uninformed. It is the individual's responsibility to gather information from all aspects of any social or political issue and develop their own personal viewpoint on the issue. Regrettably, it has always been easier for mankind to meld unnoticed into the mob than to stand alone unencumbered with the baggage of others.