Getting to Know You (Again)

Good Morning -

We've been here for two weeks now.

In some ways, it feels like I never left. The 16th St. Mall is still full of business types, high school students, independent performers, and places to spend money. The Capitol looks much the same as it did 12 years ago when I lived a couple of blocks down from it. The mountains maintain in their majesty - just as they have for all of the 35 years that we have been friends.

In some ways, it feels like I'm in a completely new city. There's this train thing that zips in and out of the downtown area and I wonder how they taught the Denver drivers to share the road with trains. There's a giant blue bear outside of the new, fancy Convention Center. Neighborhoods that were struggling financially when I left are now financially sound but bereft of diversity.

I had a moment last Saturday when I was standing by the creek in the elk field, experiencing all of the nature and rooting myself down into the earth. The wind was blowing strongly in bursts in my ear and it felt like an old friend who was tripping over her words trying to catch me up with all that's happened since we last left.

Some things have changed, to be sure, but the core pieces maintain. I look forward to catching up with the city in these next months, taking time to listen to her stories and see what she's been doing.

I suppose if the Virgen was going to be completely accurate, she'd say "Welcome Back to Denver", but the slogan nonetheless reflects the return.

Here's to that. Here's to stories. Here's to exploring. Here's to listening and here's to catching up with old friends.