Hanging on the wall next to my desk, is a framed certificate that says ‘Solo Certificate,’ dated 1980.
It came from my flight school and features a hand-drawn picture of an eagle, having just shoved a baby eagle out of the nest, with the little guy pulling out of a dive.
As with a lot of drawings, there are motion lines from the eaglet to the nest. They are supposed to represent the flight of the new flyer. For me, they represent a kind of rope or golden thread…..some way of providing a safety net, in case the little fellow was a bit of a lateral-thinker. He might also be envisioning the possibility of just climbing down from the nest. But, that’s just me.
This time of year, we seem to lighten up a bit and let ourselves savour special dreams about better times, helping others, getting closer to family and friends. However, we also seem to include in our thoughts the dragging of our brakes on just what we are willing to do to realize these things.
I think it’s because we mostly don’t know. I know I didn’t. I thought I’d like to attempt things that might move me in the direction I wanted to go. I remember an unwillingness to look, to ask, to risk looking like a fool, to appear weird, to step out of the old comfort zone, etc. etc. More accurately, it was the fear that, having looked the fool, there may be no way of undoing any consequences.
That’s why I like to see my eaglet with the golden thread attached, representing some kind of support. I can see the thread eventually being broken in favor of full flight, maybe on certain eaglet terms.
It may be important to feel safe, but not completely. There is so much life to explore, and so much that is an unknown. Having folks who will join us on the journey, someone who will not completely let go of that golden thread while we look eagerly, or hesitantly to see what lies around the next bend….that would really matter!
Rich