In usufruct to the living . . .

 The words of Thomas Jefferson may prove inappropriate  to wax nostalgic on the fate of a bar, a dive bar no less, but I feel the premiss "that the earth belongs in usufruct to the living" if accepted as a guiding principle on the nature of society and progress, sets the stage on which the evolution of the Catacombs may be mourned, but not criticized 

   I loved the Catacombs. I loved the Catacombs of 6 years ago, a bar that in many ways had more in common with my parents generation than the watering holes in Boulder that my generation including myself finally removed too. The smoke filled basement full of fun seekers favoring abandon over prudence was as nostalgic of the post local prohibition time of the bars founding as it was the scenes in which me and my fellows learned those behaviors. The thing about the Catacombs that made it king among the few dive bars in our ever elite city was it's irony. The Catacombs was a place for a cheap beer in an expensive town. The Catacombs, was the trashiest bar, in the basement of the nicest hotel in town. And with every bit of irony intended, the Catacombs had the best service per dollar spent.

  And as our city of Boulder develops yet another sign of it's awkward growing phase, the reaction in the public is the same as the news that our newspaper is selling it's downtown home. I like many mourn the Catacombs, a place I haven't been in quite sometime, not because I want it in tact should I return but because of what this change is indicative of. The irony of the Catacombs is emblematic of the charm of Boulder, a character that is in fact slowly slipping away. Perhaps I'm "too young" or "haven't been in Boulder long enough" to lay a legitimate claim to a snapshot of the City's past. Perhaps its ridiculous to long for the "Good 'ole Days" of 6 years ago, and certainly only the lens of revisionism gives a clear view to logic of voluntarily returning to those days of hangovers ringing ears and bad habits. But what is sincere, if not misguided is longing for the bar and the Boulder that "I knew", that healthy mix of yuppies, hippies and rednecks that was my paradise while certainly another's hades. 

  And I must remember that as my haunts and my City have changed, I too have changed and woe be to me to be critical of the former, lest they are critical of the latter for if not by evolution how is one to measure the health of their mind and worth of their days? 

  It is not my place to decided what the Hotel Boulderado chooses to do with it's dive bar, nor is it my place to decide what a person does with their home, or community does with it's social fabric. Indeed the world belongs to the living generation, and while Jefferson in his letter to Madison was speaking to responsible personal and national debt as an analogy to the proper term of the endurance of the laws of man, I do see a correlation in the angst of the ever changing character of a City. 

  Shall we preserve the City in amber? And if so who's Elysium shall we choose? Circa 1978?, '84?, '96? I would choose 2002, and like the proponents of every year between 2008 and 1876 would find myself in a lonely and impotent minority scorned by a majority who can't believe anybody would prefer "that time" in Boulder  over their own preferred epoch. The natural state of a living being, which a City is,  is constant change and evolution.  While Jefferson would believe that some of the laws that have caused Boulder to be the City it is today, ought be repealed by sheer virtue that they have exceeded 19 years of age. Perhaps however he would be convinced that as a member of the living generation should I see fit to keep the band of open space, that is my prerogative as the rightful heir to the land that sustains me. I bet he would insist however that my generation seek to renew and amend those laws rather than just inherit them. 

  indeed the world belongs to the living, and a community is likewise the province of those present. It is appropriate to mourn loss, and to question the value and logic of change. However these passions must be tempered with an acknowledgement that change is a function of a healthy community. There is no requirement to love the new evolution, but the criticism should be on merits, not on principle that change itself is inherently bad. Perhaps the "new" Catacombs may become my new favorite bar, perhaps the City that Boulder will evolve to will be a better, more charming place, but what is certain is that change is inevitable and to fight it is only to be left behind. It is the better part of wisdom to embrace the future to have a hand in shaping it. This Jefferson would say is the responsibility of the living generation, to be stewards of the world we were bequeathed while in equal measure preparing for an unencumbered transfer to the will and desire of those who will inherit the earth from us. But he would warn us that too much energy spent longing for the past is akin to deferring responsibility to the deceased.

CHEERS!

And for the record and incase it wasn't clear somehow, I LOVE THE CATACOMBS!

and frankly Boulder could use a few more dive bars . . .

Comments

[Vikki]

I agree with the argument in theory, but the problem is that they're not changing the Catacombs to change with the times. Their customers aren't asking for change. Their current clientele is a dive bar clientele. No one wants the Catacombs as an upscale place except the Boulderado management, who feel that the character of the Catacombs is "beneath" them. Of course it is. Literally. That's part of the beauty of it. They're trying to fix what's not broken, and that's a philosophy that drives me nutty.

[Vikki]

I agree with the argument in theory, but the problem is that they're not changing the Catacombs to change with the times. Their customers aren't asking for change. Their current clientele is a dive bar clientele. No one wants the Catacombs as an upscale place except the Boulderado management, who feel that the character of the Catacombs is "beneath" them. Of course it is. Literally. That's part of the beauty of it. They're trying to fix what's not broken, and that's a philosophy that drives me nutty.

[Shawn Coleman]

Hey Vikki, thanks for the comment and thanks for starting the facebook group "Keep the Catacombs Lowbrow". I agree with you about the character of the catacombs, what makes it the king of dive bars it the irony you allude to when you say "who feel that the character of the Catacombs is "beneath" them. Of course it is. Literally. That's part of the beauty of it." And I think that Boulder could use more dive bars really, I felt the makeover the catacombs got about 2 years ago made it "too nice" well maybe people will start going to the 'combs and cause the management to change their mind, particularly in the economic climate we're in now, it seems you'd want to keep a dive bar if you already had one . . .