Small Town

Courtesy of Shreddy Times

*After completing this post, sources confirmed that free skier Sarah Burke had passed away January 19th as a result of a traumatic brain injury suffered January 11th while training for the X-Games in Park City, UT. Read more about how you can help donate to 'Believe in Sarah,' fund that's been established in her honor, by clicking here.

Back in November, I posted a story about Danny Toumarkine, a friend who lived down the street from me while living in New Hampshire. He was a great snowboarder that had suffered a traumatic brain injury while filming his first feature film out west. He is somebody who truly embodies the spirit of this blog; enjoy your time as much of the time as possible.

Upon first viewing, I found myself not only happy for Danny, but for the portrayal of his hometown, (North) Conway [NH]. It is a place I spent a lot of my childhood visiting, eventually moving there post-graduate from Miami in search of Winter, nature, and space.

Whether or not one has ever lived in a small town, hopefully at some point, they get to experience the
charm of community coming together and rallying for a great cause. Eight minutes into the film, the viewer gets a glimpse into Mount Washington Valley and its people, as phone calls pour in regarding Danny's condition, so much so that [his brother] Conor was forced to create a website overnight [Dannyisthebomb.com], primarily to keep Mount Washington Valley in the loop. At the 12-minute mark, valley locals show off their ingenuity, shaving their heads and creating a human greeting card in a show of fundraising support. If that wasn't good enough, they raised enough money to get him a private flight home.

Would your neighbor's do that for you?

The gondola ride at 19:05 is one filled with many emotions. Danny understands how valuable life is, if not more than enjoying the little things like carving down a sunny slope with good friends [19:40].

He said, "I'm going to keep riding and living my life to the fullest. I'm lucky to be here right now. There's no reason to push the limit."

Anyone who has come close to death themselves knows this to be true. It's reinforced every time they see one of their peers go through it.

Or as I've written and said [too] many times, "Everything in moderation."

I moved out of North Conway a few years ago, but the perspectives of its people stay with me. Their genuine spirit, creativity, and outlook on life is an invaluable gift that I'll forever be indebted to experiencing. Those mountain towns go through the good and bad together, picking each other up when they most need it, and showing support at the first sign of trouble. It's one big blue-collar family that keeps the focus on what's important, its inhabitants.

While much of the focus these days is on Wall Street and war, it's nice to know that some of the biggest lessons in life can be taught in the smallest places.