In The Air
In the air we find excitement and a satisfaction of our wanderlust…we enjoy the gift of flight, drifting on the breeze as if man’s ability to fly were perfectly natural and routine… We have made it seem routine, but as it is the nexus between nature, art, and science, flight can be a magical and emotional experience when we pay attention to the details and revel in our movement through space. This is a tough time for people…uncertainty, illness, rational fears of infection…and yet, today I found inspiration. A young boy with wide eyes, a huge smile, and a glow in the dark dinosaur tee shirt approached me in the Memphis terminal exclaiming, “I’m going to get your autograph!” I squatted down to eye level as he began telling me about his trip, his family, his airplane logbook, his special shirt, his airplane, and his detailed observations of the airport. He told me that he was “this many,” holding up five fingers. He was electric. Every detail of the day excited him and he shared his wonder. As I had been focusing on washing my hands, distancing myself from strangers, and worrying about my disrupted flight schedule, my little friend brought the magic back to my experience, if only for a little while. This will continue to be a tough time and it will get tougher, but I’ll keep thinking of the joy and excitement of my young friend as I dream of our collective return to the sky. Be well.
The Aerial Horizon 