Word of the Bird
Birds came in the Spring of my Life; it was a fledgling Robin that first turned my eye and captured my attention, back in the days when I was wearing the pants, shirts, and underwear, of the younger boy that I once was. Now, adorned in the clothes of an older man, with a few more bumps, bruises, and creases of concern, I can observe and reflect upon the signs and binds of our time. The Bird has become a metaphor for me to look at, pondering upon, and capture, some valuable insights on Life and living here in this place of my own choosing. These fine and feathered creatures come in nearly all sizes, shapes, colors, and ornamentations, as reflected in the full color spectrum of the rainbow after a thunderstorm; nearly as vast, rich, and diverse, as the human race. Birds are tethered to this earth by forces beyond our control, but yet, they help us all to look up up up and away to a lighter, brighter, and more beautiful day: today, tonight, and tomorrow. The Wright brothers, since childhood, had watched, studied, tinkered with, experimented in, fell short of, and eventually rose again, to complete their journey into the wild unknown of heavier than air, power controlled, sustained, mechanical flight. It was on December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, where Wilbur and Orville became the first true airplane pilots. The first of four flights, with Orville at the helm, on that day lasted only 12 seconds and traveled just under 120 feet, but it proved that human flight was indeed possible. The best flight of the day was commandeered by Wilbur, who flew 852 feet in 59 seconds; this then opened the door to better days ahead, when we became stronger as a people and as a nation, because of its application to military use, delivering crops and other items faster and more efficiently, and allowing people to travel greater distances in less time; rendering steamboats and trains more costly in time and travel. Birds have been with us since the beginning of time, and they will be here after we are gone, so let's enjoy them and learn from them while we can!! That's the word of this old bird!! Wright!!
