In the mid 1850s, gold prospectors in Colorado ventured into current day Boulder valley to stake a claim in the Rocky Mountain foothills. The dream was to strike it rich mining the river that flowed from from the continental divide into the eastern plains. The area was sacred grounds for the natives of the Arapahoe nation, and the arrival of Europeans was met with hostility. However, Chief Niwot, after consulting the dreams of an elder, chose to cooperate and befriend the settlers rather than resist the inevitable demise of the land they cherished. Revered as an ally, he was referred to as Chief Left Hand, the English translation of his Arapahoe name. The town of Niwot, geographic features, city parks, roads and Left Hand Brewing are named in his honor. This story was part of the reason I chose to get a tattoo of a left hand last year. Not only as a memory of the beautiful place I called home for 3 years, but also due to the symbology associated with the left hand in many cultures throughout human history.
While there are many mythologies that reference the right and left hand path, a definitive definition is hard to find. My personal interpretation is based on a the ideas of mythologist Joseph Campbell who compares the different paths we choose to follow in life. In summary "he says the first kind is that of “The Right-Hand Path.” This is the mythology of the village compound. It is specific to the culture. It helps keep you fixed in the context of your world. It helps you live as expected, live with dignity, respect, etc.
Then he says, “On the other hand, you may flip out!” He calls this the mythology of “The Left-Hand Path.” These stories help you when you have begun to develop a sense of incongruity with the right-hand path. He says that one moves out into a realm of danger, where there are no rules. People on this path may live a life of danger and creativity, but perhaps not a “respected” life, according to the culture. This “left-hand” or “general” mythology is that of the Hero journey (or individuation), that which helps a person fulfill his or her own potentialities." While I have never faced any real danger, I do draw some parallels between these themes and my own life.
Then he says, “On the other hand, you may flip out!” He calls this the mythology of “The Left-Hand Path.” These stories help you when you have begun to develop a sense of incongruity with the right-hand path. He says that one moves out into a realm of danger, where there are no rules. People on this path may live a life of danger and creativity, but perhaps not a “respected” life, according to the culture. This “left-hand” or “general” mythology is that of the Hero journey (or individuation), that which helps a person fulfill his or her own potentialities." While I have never faced any real danger, I do draw some parallels between these themes and my own life.
For me, Colorado is the location I associate with my own journey down a more left handed path. At a time when college was overwhelming and options seemed limited, an offer to move to Colorado from my brother and good friends felt like the only way to get out of an unhappy lifestyle. It turned out to be exactly what I needed, openning my eyes to the many possibilities and options I was not considering before turning 21 years old. Many people undergo the same transition, my personal journey was so dramatic that I was very aware of how my mentality had changed in just several months. How fitting that my journey down the left handed path started in a place named Left Hand!
I am not very superstitious but I do perceive this coincidence as a sign that I was in the right place at the right time. Now I catogorize many of the choices I make into either the right or left hand path. My current travels definitely qualify as the latter. Sometimes I question these choices and what they bring to my life. Recently in northern Thailand I was doubting myself, wondering if my energy would have a greater impact if focused on something more "right-handed".
These doubts were quickly cast aside due to a chance encounter with a tuk-tuk driver in Chiang Mai. After seeing no trace of craft beer for months I literally ran into a man wearing a Left Hand Brewing hat. Through limited words I communicated my excitement about his hat. He apparently got it from a friend and had no idea what it said or ment. I showed him my tattoo and repeated "Left hand hat, left hand tattoo, same same, same place!" This omen rassured me that I had made the right choices and was once again moving in the right direction. I didn't have my camera but I caught up with him again 2 weeks later, he remembered me and allowed me to take a photo of him next to his tuk-tuk.
That coincidence has stuck with me and has comforted me repeatedly. Then, 2 days ago, while standing in a busy intersection of Siem Reap, Cambodia (1000k away from Chiang Mai) I stared in amazement as a tuk-tuk drove by with a fresh coat of paint and a solitary sticker on the side. It was the Left Hand Brewing logo, bouncing down a bumpy road with passengers returning from Angkor Wat. What are the odds that the only brewery being represented throughout my travels happens to be Left Hand? It's an amazing coincidence that I am happy to over interpret.
There are many people who follow the left hand path much more bravely than I, but I'm proud to know that I walk it from time to time. I'm excited to get back to see friends and family, perhaps being more selfless with my time. Those times bring me happiness and a deep sense of contentment, but I do not know if I would be as appreciative of those blessings without wondering down the left hand path and understanding what it's like to live without.
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