After years of pandemics, climate crisis, civil war, and suicides 

the food stopped growing, the oil stopped flowing, 

and the sky darkened under a blood moon.

The earth weeped.

The animals spoke. 


The people had become soft

languishing in technological wonders

and addictions to false joy.

But he Tetons stood tall

and the people who loved them organized. 


They turned to Shoshone and Arapahoe elders,

to farmers and ranchers, 

to teachers and survivalists,,

to the women and children, 

to the mountain guides,

to their intuitive dogs and horses, 

to the native animals and plants, 

to the spirits of the adventurers who died here,

to their troll and the fairies and sprites who came out of the woods, and

to the storms and the stars and the moon.


Some meditated, some prayed

some paddled, some summited.

They stopped talking at the same time

and listened to tears of voices unheard.

They touched, they hugged, and 

looked into the eyes of the elk on the Refuge.

With enhanced awareness, courage, and optimism

they stopped breathing the toxic smoke of

fundamentalism, perfectionism, competition

tribalism, celebrity, and unfettered growth.

 

Time was short, the world was watching.

With quiet resolute actions, a new generation 

with audacity and humility

chose to make a difference over making money.

Built on the collective knowledge of 

remarkable humans who came before

nature and society united

under immutable laws of the universe

to balance, to protect what languished

In order to flourish. 


A Grand Sacrifice, they let nature manifest the way. 

To visit or live here required signing a manifesto committed to            

treat Mother Earth as a responsibility, not a resource,

and to ensure the mental, spiritual, and physical health of others. 

They reimagined technology, business, and government

and harnessed environmentally sustainable capitalism.

One in, one out. Money no longer the currency for access;

only love for nature, adventure, and hard work could buy in.

Through a lottery, anyone with the right intention could visit

Paid for by market incentives ground in moral values.


The ones who stayed would do anything 

for their fields and livestock,

for the feel of powdered snow on their eyelashes,

for the discovery of a chanterelle,

for the thrill of whitewater, 

for the sight of a speckled fawn,

to meditate and paint at sunrise,

to dance under summer stars,

for the sweet purple kiss of a child eating huckleberries, and

the shimmer of a trout slithering through their fingers. 


They slowed down, stopped competing with each other.

They grew their own food and fed the community.

They bathed in the forests, rivers, and meadows of wildflowers.

They reconnected their families, repaired broken hearts.

The rich opened their homes to the workers and artists

Shared their sporting equipment, vehicles, and tools.

Their schools prioritized agriculture, arts, critical thinking, stewardship, and play; 

churches preached only compassion, tolerance, inclusion

The children played lacrosse and skied with friends from the Wind River.

Fun became the ultimate luxury.


Everyone agreed to a tax in human effort — 

heroic acts across the community 

daily choices to serve others.

Junk food and plastic were rare, the recycling center grew

the dump overgrew with larkspur.

The sick never went uncared for, 

the differently-abled found meaning,

the elderly were kept engaged and active

they buried and burned the dead without chemicals

regenerating the circle of life for eternity.


Visitors experienced living in the moment —

a digital detox, 

memories their only souvenirs.

Once here their magic devices were disabled 

they hand-picked their experiences

before  they hopping on free solar-powered bikes or 

underground bullet trains to get around to the adventure of their choosing.

Clean food, meditation, massage, adventure, music, art, 

homegrown beer, huckleberry ice cream, elk minion, morel pasta, 

and a connection with nature was on the menu.


They visualized themselves in the shoes of those they hoped to serve

and focused on individual goals 

only after serving the community and the land.

The highest honor bestowed on those with wealth

went to those who gave it away.

Acceptance, respect, and love 

was based on what they gave, not money, power, or fame. 

The greedy, the egotistical, and the extractors, were driven out. 

Determined fools were punished but not executed

and gently taught correctness.


Connection replaced consumerism,

purpose replaced profits,

sustainability replaced selfishness,

the workers were no longer simply inputs.

They met the present with an open mind

and as the earth healed, they healed themselves

Visitors returned home, inspired to share what they learned.

The environment no longer their personal domain

they always gave more than they took

and grew rich in spirit and joy.