Eyes that see the good in things: September 17, 2018

Colorado is one of my favorite places to go. First of all, it’s my birthplace, but until six years ago, I had never been there. It had always been on my list of things to do. My parents planned a family vacation to go to Colorado and show me the place where I was born. Unfortunately, a comic scene of unfortunate events kept it from happening. I wonder if my parents still see any comedy in those events? My siblings and I were discussing that trip and compared it to one of the Chevy Chase vacation movies, except that we only made it as far as Minot. Our grandmother had been staying with us and we were going to drop her off at her home in Minot before continuing on to Colorado.

We had a small pop-up camper and all eight of us stayed in that camper when we went on vacation. There was a lot of “togetherness” on those trips. Eight of us together in a station wagon, at a time when seat belts were not required in vehicles, driving to wherever that year’s vacation destination took us. Then at night, eight of us together in the camper. It was close quarters, but those close quarters produced lots of good family memories. It’s just that a Colorado trip wasn’t one of them, but it wasn’t for lack of trying.

For this trip, my parents put a topper on the back of the pick-up rather than planning to use the station wagon, which would have made more sleeping room when we got there. Yes, that meant there were several of us who would be riding from Minnesota to Colorado in the back of a pick-up. That was also before the time when that was a no-no. We made it as far as Starkweather, when the transmission of the pick-up went out. Determined to make the trip anyway, my dad caught a ride home to get the trusty station wagon, so we could still make our trip. Unfortunately, that vehicle’s gas tank got a hole in it when it scraped bottom coming out of a low business driveway. My parents then had one vehicle with a transmission being repaired in Devils Lake and were bringing another into a garage in Minot.

I don’t remember this part, but one of my siblings said that the story didn’t end there, because she said we set up the camper at a campground while we waited for the car to get fixed. While we were waiting, my sister got very ill and ended up with an emergency room visit and a stay at Grandma’s while she got well. So, with most of the vacation money and vacation time spent repairing vehicles and recuperating, we spent the rest of our vacation that year in Minot before starting the trip back home, collecting repaired vehicles along the way.

That’s a long story one of the planned (and failed) trips to Colorado, but it wasn’t until my sister moved there that our family started visiting regularly. For some reason, I couldn’t make it to Colorado in 40 years, but I am now planning my third trip to Colorado in six years. Because, now, you see, some of my favorite people live there.

This good story comes from Colorado and involves someone else I know. I was born in Leadville, Colo. and often hear my parents speak about Mt. Elbert, Mt. Massive, Pike’s Peak and a few lesser known places. So, when I was visiting, I made sure to see them. I knew just how tall Mt. Elbert is and that’s what made the story catch my attention.

The local CBS news station in Denver started their clip, with a message about hikers who set out to hike Colorado’s many mountain peaks that exceed 14,000 feet. These peaks are known as “fourteeners” or “14ers.” This story involves a group that hiked up Colorado’s highest peak, Mt. Elbert, with an elevation of 14,439 feet, carrying a 200-pound couch for charity. While most people hike the 14ers for the most breathtaking views available, this trip was planned by a for-profit organization to bring attention and funding to their non-profit partner, the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.

People planning a 14er are generally advised to pack light. However, these three young entrepreneurs, with a little help from their friends, set out with a goal to haul that 200-pound couch up the mountain and to raise $1.00 for every vertical foot of elevation they gained on the mountain. Nick Reichert, Doyle Vulcan and Lance Harding are the owners of The Good Couch Company, a local startup specializing in the refurbishment, sale, and delivery of gently used couches, loveseats and sectionals. The owners say their business came to be when they listened to people who had redecorated their homes and purchased new furniture. They said they heard people advertising or trying to give their old furniture away, saying “it’s still a good couch, we just redecorated, and we need to get rid of it.”

The three went into business and started picking up the couches, with no pick-up fee to the original owner. They repair and clean all the furniture before re-selling it to people who want good furniture but may not be able to purchase new. A portion of each of the sale proceeds then goes to the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. The sale of each couch helps at least three people, in addition to the positive impact it has to the environment when the furniture is re-used, rather than ending up in a landfill somewhere. They now have two locations, with over 200 “good couches” available.

When they started discussing their plan to carry the couch up the mountain, it was with a two-fold goal. The most important was to generate donations for the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, but they also set out to prove that they could deliver a couch anywhere. If they could carry a couch up a 14er, they could definitely carry it to someone’s third story apartment. The owners and a few friends carried the couch up the mountain, and they carried it back down again on September 10. The picture of the group sitting on the couch at the top of Mt. Elbert was priceless and the view around them is breathtaking. They will release a video of the climb in October.

Donations can still be made until Nov. 1 by going to The Good Couch Facebook page. I’ll be making a donation for a couple of reasons. While I don’t know the three entrepreneurs, I do know one of the friends who helped carry the couch up the mountain. However, with my love of all things re-purposed, I have great respect for the entrepreneurial and charitable spirit shown by the owners. They saw a need, set out to fill it and ended up helping others in the process. And that’s a good thing!

We would love to share local stories about the good things your eyes are seeing.

Stop in to share your stories with us, give us a call at 947-2417 or e-mail us at [email protected]. Or send a letter to Eyes That See the Good in Things, c/o Allison Lindgren, The Transcript, 6 8th St N., New Rockford, ND 58356.