Skywriting. It’s not lost on me that this single compound word is composed of two separate ones that capture the essence of my two proudest accomplishments in life. They’re not about getting my first job, graduating from college, or any other thing that I should do. No, pride often comes from choices we make that are not thrust upon us, decisions to pursue something that might possibly be unnecessary to the rest of the world but feeds our soul in necessary ways.
When I decided to begin writing, it wasn’t with the intent of writing long forms of fiction. I was simply depositing words on the page to help myself make sense of the world, alongside finding what felt like extraordinary moments in otherwise ordinary scenarios. In a way, that’s what continued to happen through my fictional writing endeavors. The end goal never changed, it simply morphed into different forms through the eyes of characters who help share my perspective on life and the human condition. It wasn’t a conscious decision to write a novel until my first one was half completed, and I realized how necessary it was to my well-being.
My other proud accomplishment in life was (and had to be) a decidedly conscious choice. Becoming a private pilot was never a lifelong or childhood goal of mine, but I’ve always been fascinated by the principles of flight. When I woke up one otherwise unassuming morning and realized I could become one of those people who qualifies to serve as pilot-in-command of a single-engine aircraft, my focus accelerated down a metaphorical runway toward rotation and takeoff.
It’s not the actual accomplishments or process of obtaining them that fascinates me the most while writing these words. It’s how they relate to each other and coexist inside that single word, skywriting. It’s an instinctive reaction. Whenever I hear the hum of an aircraft’s engine, I look up. It’s not like I’m going to identify the plane or otherwise alter the course of my day by doing so. It’s simply a nod to the powers that be, a moment of appreciation for the opportunity and awareness to pursue something important to me.
So many times, I’ve been on the beach on a hot summer day and have looked up to see one of those small planes leaving a trail of smoke in the sky, spelling out words, drawing images, or otherwise creating artistic impressions with the blue sky as a canvas. And here’s where an interesting observation occurred to me. Where you are when that pilot is drawing in the sky affects what you see. Perspective is critical. You might see a smiling happy face or what looks like a football depending on your viewing angle. What’s so interesting about that, you wonder? Good question.
Many years ago (more than 25), I was on a flight from Dayton, Ohio to Atlanta, Georgia. On descent through the clouds toward my destination, the aircraft encountered what I later learned was a mix of a severe downdraft and wind shear. It was completely unexpected, and the flight attendants walking through the aisles were momentarily plastered to the ceiling of the cabin. The tomato juice that the gentleman next to me was drinking ended up all over my shirt. We landed safely, but I have feared aspects of commercial flying ever since that moment, to the point that I would much prefer driving halfway across the country instead of taking a couple hour flight to my destination.
That changed when I made another one of those conscious choices to fly instead of drive to visit my son at college over Thanksgiving. It was simultaneously uncomfortable but empowering to face my fear associated with flying. After a sequence of uncomfortable but brave decisions over the past several months, it became apparent that doing so becomes easier the more we do it. That’s probably common sense, but as someone wise once shared, common sense is not always common practice.
That’s where this whole meandering monologue circles back to a most important word: perspective. It’s another one of those conscious choices we can make. And while it’s not always simple or easy, it affects so many of our emotions and feelings. I think back to that word, skywriting, and my past fears of being at a high altitude on commercial flights. With the proper perspective and a perfectly placed flight path by one of those writers in the sky, we can traverse across that letter l in the word altitude and watch it change to attitude.
Yep, perspective is everything.
Would you like to connect with Dave and learn more about his daily thoughts and life as an author? Join his community, receive a free copy of his Pigeon Grove prequel novella, Fly Away Home, and be the first to share a sip of caffeine for the soul each month!
Comentários