Butte Beat: Visiting the Chain That Keeps On Giving

BUTTE, MT - Pizza.

I don't know if it's the weather, which has been so pleasant that I find myself caring less and less about worldly pursuits and caring more and more about the beauty of life, the pleasures that come from sitting in the grass on a hot sunny day, and the love that surrounds me. None of which come from the innate complexity of media (social or otherwise), politics (national, workplace, whatever), or cultural syndication.

Of course, there's always room for balance. Balance the complex with the simple. Balance the difficult with the easy. Balance the alcohol drinkin' with the weed smokin'. That last one was a joke. But you know what isn't? "The tremendous joy of pure existence," a quote from my main man Osho in his classic, Emotional Wellness.

Existence that is pure. That's what makes it so joyful. Pureness. I'm not talking about what the preacher told you when you were six years old, I'm talking about the stuff we love to involve ourselves in—despite it slowly killing us. What's one of the leading causes of death? Stress. And where does stress come from? Complexity. Too many moving parts.

Where does stress go to die? Though I would normally argue a park, or a deck-top jacuzzi, this time I'll have to go with a Montana favorite: MacKenzie River Pizza. Located off the beaten path on Monroe Ave in Butte, MRP (as I shall call it henceforth) is definitely where stress goes to die. Not only have I seen it happen, but it happened to me myself.

How could it not be? Just walking in, you see a remarkably pleasant ambiance, with updated furnishings and architecture that whispers to you, "Hey, we care." Plus, the friendly staff immediately shreds off a hardy layer of disgruntled annoyance you've armored yourself with throughout the day.

Then, the food. Oh, the delicious, classic, sometimes-healthy-sometimes-unhealthy food. Want something to go down nice and easy but with plenty of flavor? Get one of their iconic salads. On the flip side, order a pizza when you want something familiar, comfortable, and simple—to remind you that, hey, things don't always have to be so complicated.

Shout out Avril Lavigne.