This editorial series was inspired by our family cat, Vincent, who can never seem to decide whether he wants to be inside the house… or outside.
He reminded me that I am, myself, often looking for changes and improvements to happen in the mountain resort community where I live.
I could easily be satisfied with what already exists, if that were my nature. The simple fact is, at this moment in time, I have everything I really need. Maybe not fortune and fame, but at least a roof over my head, a well-stocked pantry, clean running water, fresh air to breathe, and a community of interesting people.
Once I was winning in fortune and fame
Everything that I dreamed for to get a start in life’s game
Suddenly it happened, I lost every dime
But I’m richer by far with a satisfied mind
— from ‘A Satisfied Mind’ by Joe “Red” Hayes and Jack Rhodes
According to Wikipedia, “Red” Hayes explained the origin of the 1954 song, “A Satisfied Mind”, recorded over the years by at least four dozen prominent artists in nearly as many musical styles:
The song came from my mother. Everything in the song are things I heard her say over the years. I put a lot of thought into the song before I came up with the title. One day my father-in-law asked me who I thought the richest man in the world was, and I mentioned some names. He said, ‘You’re wrong; it is the man with a satisfied mind.’
But it seems to be human nature to want what we don’t have. Or to want — for our community — what it seems to lack.
Back in 2016, my daughter Ursala and some of her friends decided that Pagosa Springs lacked a publicly-funded charter school that could offer parents and children an innovative approach to learning and education. The result — with the endorsement of the Archuleta School District — was Pagosa Peak Open School (PPOS), soon to begin its ninth year of serving up Project-Based Learning in a Restorative Practices social environment. It was occasionally a bumpy ride, but as the 2026-2027 school year begins, it’s still providing a satisfying alternative to traditional education.
PPOS is funded mainly through Archuleta County property taxes, paid by anyone and everyone who owns property within the Archuleta School District boundaries. Additional funding comes from the state of Colorado, the federal government, many PPOS families, and donations from the general community.
Archuleta County property owners did not vote to provide that funding; it’s been imposed on the community by the state of Colorado, through the state legislature and by court decisions. The Colorado Constitution, as ratified in 1876, requires the people of the state to provide free public education to children in Colorado, and the legislature approved the operation of ‘charter schools’ in 1993, as a means for exploring innovative educational methods.
Disclosure: I currently serve on the PPOS Board of Directors, but this editorial series reflects only my own personal thoughts and not necessarily the opinions of the PPOS board or staff as a whole.
One of the newer additions to the school day at PPOS is ‘Genius Hour’, a regular period of the day when each student is invited to research and explore his or her own personal interests, whatever those interests might be.
In a certain sense, that’s the mission driving the Pagosa Daily Post. It’s a place where our writers and contributors can explore, and write about, their personal interests, whatever those might be.
My own personal interests, for example, include the community I live in — Pagosa Springs, Colorado — and especially, the manner in which our political and business leaders make decisions about the community’s evolution and sustainability.
A Daily Post reader, Victor Lucariello, sent me a short but thoughtful email yesterday, after reading Part One of this editorial series.
In Part One of the “A Satisfied Mind” editorials, Mr. Hudson writes:
“Governments, like families and individuals, constantly seek to satisfy themselves.”
While I agree with the statement, I dare say governments should be seeking to satisfy their constituents.
This comment ties in well with what I thought this editorial series would be discussing when I picked the title: “A Satisfied Mind.” In my experience, humans often seek satisfaction. That is to say: happiness, contentment, bliss, gratification, fulfillment, peace of mind. And that includes government leaders and staff, who ideally act as servants of We The People.
But We The People — as individuals and as members of a community — also constant seek change, improvement, advancement, refinement.
It’s tempting to believe that gratification of our desire — for solutions to perceived problems in our community — will lead to contentment and peace of mind.
But is that a realistic belief?
That might be the central question in this editorial series. Does change and improvement bring about a satisfied mind?
Or is the mind eternally dissatisfied, no matter what happens?
I told one of my friends that I was writing this editorial series, and asked for her thoughts about the idea of “a satisfied mind”.
She suggested that I could reach out to my readers and find out what interesting thoughts come to mind for Daily Post readers, when they consider the phrase, “a satisfied mind”.
So here is a short reader survey. What does the phrase “A Satisfied Mind” mean to you?
You can respond anonymously, or you can share you name and, if you wish, your email address. The survey is here.
Read Part Three… tomorrow…