Hartstein: Two faces of Aspen

If Aspen were a person, who would it be? I suspect those not well-acquainted with our mountain town would immediately peg it as someone like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, or Mark Zuckerberg. An ultra-high-net-worth individual who monopolized an industry, is entirely out of touch with the world and the common folk that live in it, and let’s not forget: someone with a massive ego.

And if you’re viewing Aspen from the outside, that’s probably a fitting assumption. Elitist. Expensive. Exclusive. Entitled. Ego. (Any other E words I’m forgetting?) 

However, once you get to know Aspen even a little bit, you might start to see it as I do. To me, if Aspen were a person, she’d be Dolly Parton. Rich, talented, beautiful, not to mention a towering set of … mountains. Throw in a custom-made theme park and a generous heart, and I feel pretty good about Aspen being Dolly Parton. I know, I know. Cue the predictable local backlash. But before you start ripping my head off for loving the town I call home, consider this: Two people can find themselves in the same situation and have two completely different experiences.

A perfect example of this is a roller coaster. Two people can be sitting side-by-side, going through the same turns, the same drops, the same loops. They are literally experiencing the identical situation at the exact same time, turn for turn, loop for loop. Yet one person is terrified, holding on for dear life, while the other is having the time of their life, laughing with their hands above their head. What’s the difference? The situation is identical yet the experience for each individual is night and day. The short answer is choice. If you choose to see Aspen differently than I do, that’s on you. But more on that in a minute.

First, let’s talk about fault. Have you ever noticed that the word “fault” is always negatively associated? Nobody ever asks, “Whose fault was it that we won?” or “Whose fault is it that we succeeded?” When the S-curve is finally fixed — be it by a straight shot, a tunnel, a gondola, or any other creative solution — is anyone going to ask whose fault it was that it got fixed? Will they credit the city council then? Saying it was their “fault”? When there is success or victory, people don’t ask whose fault it was; they’re too busy celebrating. People love to assign blame; they hate taking accountability. They despise being wrong. They love being right. People would rather be wrong and protect their ego than swallow their pride and make progress.

And if there’s one thing that is certain about Aspen’s identity, it’s that the locals here have an enormous ego, and they are not afraid to defend it, even at their own expense. So if Aspen’s identity isn’t what you want it to be … whose fault is that? If it IS what you want it to be … whose fault is THAT? Hint: Both are yours. (Okay, now you can lash out. I’ve poked the bear.)

Ego aside, the question I’m answering is: What is Aspen’s identity? Is it a mining town? A celebrity sanctuary? A billionaire’s playground? What amuses me is that there IS a time when everyone agrees Aspen was the bee’s knees — the cat’s pajamas. 

When talking to old heads, it’s usually the ’70s, but sometimes the ’80s. You talk to anyone who lived here then, and they’ll have nothing but good things to say. They have no complaints — once upon a time, Aspen was perfect. The elite intermingled with the common, prices were affordable for everyone, the lifts only ran to the places tourists wanted to ski. There were plenty of secret stashes and out-of-bounds runs just for locals. The water tasted better, the air was cleaner. I’m pretty sure the mountains were taller and the powder was a finer kind of champagne.

Maybe it was all true — I wouldn’t know; I wasn’t born yet. I do know that people love to romanticize the past and exaggerate their current suffering. Be it past, present, or future suffering, it’s never as bad as they make it out to be. While Aspen may be radically different from what it was in the ’70s, the town’s fun-loving identity absolutely remains today. It’s still a refuge from the hustle and bustle of the big city, a calming retreat into nature, a world-class ski resort, a place built on the ethos of mind, body, and spirit, and a town filled with eccentric locals and genius dropouts. 

This brings me to my conclusion: choice. Is it possible that I’m right? Is it possible that you’re right? Can Aspen be two sides of the same coin, a double-edged sword, a town with two faces? I propose it can. Aspen can be all those things and none of those things at the same time. It all comes down to choice.

If you choose to see Aspen as an elite, exclusive, expensive town that doesn’t care about its local population and caters only to wealth, that is exactly what you will find. If you instead choose to see Aspen as an oasis of nature and beauty — a town filled with generous locals who will help you find a job, secure housing or support you in growing your career — that, too, is what you will find. Much like life, how you see Aspen is how you experience Aspen.

You want to see Aspen as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, or Mark Zuckerberg?  You will experience a town of velvet ropes, fine dining, and no room for you at the table. You want to see it as Dolly Parton, and you will experience prolific talent, children learning to read, a town that is literally a theme park built just for you, on top of charity and goodwill as big as Dolly Parton’s … heart.

Aspen’s identity is rooted in contribution and service. From its days providing silver and jobs to becoming an exalted jewel of the world itself. People come from all over the planet to experience what Aspen has to give them. Whether that’s Elon Musk or Dolly Parton is up to you. The lens you view Aspen through is the lens you experience Aspen through.

In this modern era of humanity, where identity is a choice — how will you choose to experience Aspen’s identity? A greedy ego or a generous heart?  The choice is yours, and either way, you are right. 

Thanks for reading my stories and paying with your attention. I hope they make you smile and think.

Landon Hartstein is the founder of AspenDroneCompany.com, a media production company specializing in elevated marketing and strategic solutions for realtors, contractors and local business. For AI automation and aerial marketing contact him at Landon@AspenDroneCompany.com. To suggest story ideas or just to say hi, contact him at LandonLikeAPlaneWrites@Gmail.com.