O Beautiful for Spacious Skies

It never ceases to amaze me how incredible, and how beautiful, this country and her people are.

Park City, Utah, started out as a mining town in 1884 and had great success.  When the mines played out there was agriculture and farming.  Then, along came skiing, tourism, and the Olympics.  At its heart, a community of wonderful people combined the elements of all these industries. And therein lies the appeal of this very special place on the western edge of the Rocky Mountains.

No doubt, the most interesting thing I do, as an owner of a transportation company with two of my sons, is meet and talk with people from all over the United States (and the world) and from all walks of life.  Over the years I have heard some amazing things as people shared a part of their life story.

I remember the young man from Tibet.  In our ride to the airport, he spoke quietly of how much he enjoyed the solitude of the mountains.  He said that as he skied through the powder and the trees he was overcome by the grandeur of it all and felt great peace, “a oneness with nature.”

I’ll never forget the woman who flew in for a convention and a three-day ski vacation at a luxury hotel.  She was so appreciative of everything from the physical beauty of her surroundings to the way she was treated.  Traveling to the airport we began to talk about her story–her pathway to such an “incredible experience.”

A few years before she held a good job doing research.  Then she was hired by a large firm to find out why their candy sales fell off during Christmas and other major holidays, at a time when the owners of the company felt that their sales should soar.

What she discovered was that candy sales did increase, but it was in the upscale brands because people were willing to spend more on candy during those times of the year.

Her discovery led to a change of thinking in the presentation of their product.  This was followed by the development and marketing of red and green M & M’s and other candy specialties.  Indeed, their candy sales took off–and so did her career.

Two years ago, on a beautiful evening, just as the sun was beginning to go down, I was returning to Park City with a family who had enjoyed an afternoon of snowmobiling.  Sensing what was happening in the sky and on the tops of the mountains, as the light converged in an incredible mixture of pinks and blues on the snow-capped peaks, I took a different route because I wanted them to see the back of the Wasatch Range (Mt. Timpanogos) under these conditions.

Nature did not disappoint.  As we crested a hill and the back of the Wasatch came into view, with its 11,000-foot peaks, there were gasps of appreciation.  Then, stilled silence, as they took it all in.  It was a special time as a family from New Orleans experienced a moment they will never forget.

What I have written about Utah is something that unfolds in thousands of places across America, many of which I have witnessed firsthand. Throw in the changing seasons, from the fall colors to the stillness of winter, from Nature’s renewal in springtime to the long summer days with their parades, celebrations, and family gatherings.

Such reflection often leads me to a question: What is the higher purpose of Nature? And to a possible answer: “To cultivate the sense of the beautiful, is one of the most effectual ways of cultivating an appreciation of the divine goodness” (Bovee).

As I wrote in the beginning, it never ceases to amaze me how incredible, and how beautiful, this country and her people are.