New and Different

Instead of an update on skiing I have an update on the activism side of my life (oddly enough just as I started writing that an ad for Exxon-Mobil just came on the TV in my hotel room in DC) Currently, I'm in DC for a CC training for the week, we kicked off the week by participating in a protest outside the state department demanding that the major emitters sign a treaty to reduce global warming emissions at a conference in Denmark at the end of this year. I'm always inspired by being here in DC and being around the GP CC crew for the next couple weeks. Seriously, it always reminds me of whenever I feel world weary or getting old and crotchety I need to place myself around people who honestly believe that they can make change and have the insane yet invigorating energy to do it. I think that there must be something distinctly different in the chemical makeup of those who set out to be activists. Something in the brain says, "Fuck it, I can do it." rather than, "Eh who cares, I can't change the world". I always wonder what that is, in those moments where I'm kicking my ass to do something and thinking about how much more money I could make doing something else or how I could be a total ski bum, it makes me wonder how I ended up with that chemical makeup. No matter what I'm glad I have it. It's what drives me to want to change the world and climb mountains at the same time, it's what drives me to lead a different life and to believe it's possible. So I'm glad I have it, I think.
Anyways, I can't find any pictures of the actual protest online but I can find a picture of the banner dropped off a crane that faced the state department. Sexy right?