The gift of island time and mountain time

Th e circular bar was busy but not too busy. There were two bartenders working the bar. Our view was of the beautiful snow-covered mountains as the restaurant was at the top of a ski resort. As the bartenders chatted us all up, we all took in the amazing view of the slopes, the mountain range backdrop and a gorgeous blue-sky day.

No rush, service was casual without being too slow. As we enjoyed our break we noticed a man had walked in and stood at the bar looking for a beverage himself. His accent gave him away as being from New York and his body language betrayed his not so good mood. As the bartender approached the man and asked what he would like to drink, the man blurted out, “Two bloody Marys.”

As the bartender started making the drinks, the man started assertively tapping his credit card on the counter, shaking his head and clearly losing his patience as the bartender worked on his drinks. I would have to say, the bartender makes an awesome bloody Mary, and he takes the time to make sure

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To subscribe call 303-566-4100 it’s perfect. As the man’s impatience grew, the bartender picked up on the vibe, and without speeding up, he quickly and brilliantly defused the situation, asking the man one question, “I’ll bet it’s nice for you to be on vacation, away from the hustle and bustle of city life, and to be up here taking in the snow, the sun and this incredible view.”

The man’s demeanor immediately changed. He knew what the bartender had just done, and smiling he said, “Thank you for that, and it’s wonderful to be up here and on mountain time.” I watched as the man took the two drinks back to his table and wife, and as he sat down, taking in a deep breath and gazing out at the magnificence and majesty of his surroundings.

If you have ever spent any time in the islands or in the mountains, you can immediately connect with

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

MICHAEL DE YOANNA Editor-in-Chief michael@coloradocommunitymedia.com

SCOTT TAYLOR Metro North Editor staylor@coloradocommunitymedia.com

BELEN WARD Community Editor bward@coloradocommunitymedia.com the headline and message of this column. When we can spend time on a beautiful tropical island or in the majesty of the mountains, sometimes things just move a little slower. And that’s a good thing.

It amazes me that some people miss the opportunity to slow down, to ease the pace of the race when they are on vacation. We work so hard to save our money so that we can take a break, get away from the rush and crush of life, and bring ourselves and our family to a tropical paradise or winter wonderland, only to lose our patience, getting upset because the shuttle was five minutes behind, or the line at the coffee shop wasn’t moving as quickly as we would like. And instead of letting go of the stress we left behind, we bring it with us and get worked up over the silliest and slightest delays.

This is not about making the excuse for poor or extremely slow service, as that is never acceptable. This is just a gentle nudge and reminder to stop and see the mountains or the vastness of a blue ocean. Not just look at them,

STEVE SMITH Sports Editor ssmith@coloradocommunitymedia.com

LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com

TERESA ALEXIS Marketing Consultant Classified Sales talexis@coloradocommunitymedia.com

AUDREY but really see them. And maybe as we stop long enough we might just realize that we are actually seeing them for the very first time.

Getting on island time or mountain time, or wherever else we go to relax and take a break, helps us to unwind and let the stressors of life go. If we are lucky enough to live in such an area full time, we understand what island time and mountain time means, and recognize it’s one of the reasons we chose to live there.

Is it time to leave the anxiety, stress, and impatience behind? Can we get ourselves comfortable with a slightly slower pace? I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we can embrace island time and mountain time for the gift that they truly are, it really will be a better than good life.

Michael Norton is an author, a personal and professional coach, consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator of individuals and businesses, working with organizations and associations across multiple industries.

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Performance and Leadership Academy is now open to external applicants e City of Brighton is opening its Performance and Leadership Academy to external applicants who work for government or non-pro t organizations. e academy is a ve-week program that teaches participants skills for identifying, analyzing, and solving problems in their day-to-day work and empowers participants to be leaders, to build winning teams and deliver exceptional customer service both internal and external.

Participants in the academy attend four-hour training sessions each ursday for ve weeks. Sessions are held from 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at Brighton City Hall, 500 S. 4th Ave. e cost to apply for external candidates is $1,800. Upcoming sessions can be found here.

To learn more about the academy and to apply, visit the Performance and Leadership Academy website. For more information, contact budget@brightonco.gov.

Garden In A Box kits for sale March 1 Brighton’s Utilities Department is partnering with conservation nonpro t Resource Central to o er to Brighton residents the Garden In A Box Program. ese pre-designed kits are tailored to Colorado soil and the simple plant-by-number maps take the guesswork out of buying and planting. Plus, the garden kits can help you save around 7,300 gallons of water over the garden’s lifetime compared to a traditional lawn. Find the perfect garden for you and your landscape by visiting resourcecentral.org/gardens. Kit pickup will be in the spring - details will be released when they become available.

Brighton utility customers can receive a $25 discount o of the program’s water-wise garden kits while supplies last. Sales open to the public March 1. Residents can choose from 11 Garden In A Box kits that include anywhere from six to more than 50 starter plants, with selections ranging from vibrant hardy xeric (low-water) perennials to a pollinator-friendly vegetable garden. Gift certi cates are also available for purchase.

For more information, visit brightonco.gov/gardeninabox, email gardeninfo@resourcecentral.org or call 303-999-3820 ext. 222.

Ongoing

‘Taking No Chances’ e 17th Judicial District Attorney’s O ce and e Link, a community resource and assessment center in ornton, are o ering free, 10-week programs to families of Adams county teenagers to help develop personal and interpersonal drugresistance skills.

Sessions are from 5:30 to 6;30 p.m. Wednesdays. Call 720-292-2811.

Brighton adds new ChargePoint stations e city of Brighton announced it was opening three new charging stations for electric vehicles. e stations are at the Brighton Recreation Center at 555 N. 11th Ave. Eagle View Adult Center at 1150 Prairie Center Parkway. and Platte Valley Medical Center at 1610 Prairie Center Parkway. e rst hour of charging is free at each location. e locations have two stalls and two charging stations each that operate much like a parking meter, with a $2-per-hour charging rate after the rst hour.

For other ChargePoint station locations, visit https://uk.chargepoint. com/charge_point. For more information, please contact Assistant Director of Public Works Chris Montoya at cmontoya@brightonco.gov.

Museum volunteers e Brighton City Museum needs volunteers to help with visitors, research and collection project-based duties.

Call Bill Armstrong, museum specialist, at 303-655-2288.

Water audit program e city of Brighton and Resource Central teamed up to provide a free water audit for businesses and homeowner associations. e program aims to help residents and cities increase water use e ciencies and reach conservation goals.

Call 303-999-3824 or visit https:// www.brightonco.gov/589/WaterAudit-Program