Go the distance

Thanks for putting my response to the Telegraph’s article on staffing shortages in last week’s issue.

Reading it again in print, I realized that it may not have fully encompassed my view on this subject – or life itself, for that matter.

Reading last week’s columns “Let’s Dig In” and “Between the Beats” made me reflect on this even more.

Now, I realize these two “Rocky”-like stories may be outliers, but I believe even Malcolm Gladwell (who also wrote a book called “Outliers”) would say that hard work and individual circumstances play a significant role in creating success.

I certainly did not mean to diminish baristas or those who have chosen to leave, as I firmly believe that if something is important enough to you, and you are willing to do the work to make that change, you will be able to do it.

Gladwell also writes about the “10,000-Hour Rule,” which says it takes 10,000 hours of intensive practice to master a skill. Even though I think this time period varies per individual, it also illustrates that there is no easy fix in life, and if you are going to put that much time into something, you better be sure that it is truly what you want.

I think the most important things in life – friends, relationships, health – can be had anywhere, and hope that will be the case for Mr. Gregorio (who wrote a letter about leaving Durango for Aztec) as well. 

And for the barista that wants a white-collar job to afford to live in Durango, certainly with the right education and dedication, this could be done.

So, in another “Rocky” parable, perhaps you don’t necessarily have to win; maybe you just have to go the distance.

– Eric Orton, Durango