There is Charlie showing off his new
knee and improved range of motion, Contrarian John walking down the upside of
the street saying last year was the best ski year ever, and Nicolette styling
her new blonde curls and pickleball outfit.
Contrast that with all the fancy young girls in their summer clothes, with
new boobs and leather fringe motorcycle outfits, cowboy hats and chaps. Or the ubiquitous parade of bridesmaids, in their
matching blue-brown dresses behind the bride-to-be dressed in off white and
pink. It is a warm night with monsoons
lurking by Sunday, so we take our time and enjoy the spectacle.
All-and-all, it makes for a slow,
scenic stroll up Main Street to the brewpub parking lot for a Pusillanimous Pulverized
Pale Ale and some Nepalese Nepotic Nachos.
When the band and the crowd up there get too raucous or rambunctious we
turn tide and walk back down Main, faster yet more determined to chat up old
friends, artists, volunteers and the polite police department. Time is spent at nature photo booths,
guessing where obscure shots were taken or discussing grizzly bears with the
photographer. Suddenly a large brass
bison looks interesting, and a 3D wood carved map of NYC looks compatible with
your current log cabin decor. We all
shop at a different pace, so we phase in and out of each other’s orbit to meet
at the bottom of the street. Anything is
possible after a few beers and the gummies kick in.
Finally, washing out at Low-Main
where Fat Paw or another Grateful Dead cover band is playing and the real heart
of the town is hanging. There is our old
Mayor twirling with the new County Commissioner, surrounded by millionaires and
billionaires in pre-torn dungarees and Deadheads in training, just learning how
to sing and dance. Old ski bums exchange
hugs with new adventure athletes and keep score by how many months off, days
skied, adventures survived or exotic vacations enjoyed. The vibe of false bravado prevails from
living in an Olympic town and never quite being the best at anything. Is all good since we did not invent this lifestyle,
but we have perfected it.
So, another PC tradition prevails,
handed down from old to new timers, each putting their own sash and flash on it
as we differentiate the generations. Our
strength is our diversity with new people and different ideas, yet similar
sensibilities. We all want to keep Park
City kind, Mountainkind as the Chamber says, and we want to keep Park City cool,
despite climate change. We strive ‘to be
more and appear less’ as Ira said a long time ago. Locals’ night seems like a slow, annual
passing of the torch, from wisdom to beauty, experience to grace, sense and sensibilities,
with hope for the future.
