Flying

I think that humans collectively have a fascination with flight.  I know personally, both my brother and father have gotten their pilot's license and my uncle owned an FBO.  We are interested in flying because it seems like it is impossible.  Even after college physics classes where you learn this to pass tests, you don't really understand what keeps an airplane up.  Really most of the time it seems like magic.  It works and we take off, going places we could never imagine going in our lifetimes otherwise.  And even still, in this age of high speed travel there are many many people that have never been on a plane.  Most of us understand this reality, but think this only applies to those living in developing countries.  I was surprised to find that my friend in high school had never been on a plane before we flew to Ghana.  That flight was something of a wonder.  It was by far the biggest plane I'd even been on - double-decker!  When my friend fell asleep on the long, overnight flight I spent the time looking out the window into the dark night.  Off in the distance I saw the clouds flashing sporadically with lightning.  On-off they flashed, as if someone was turning on and off the lights.  I glanced around me at all the sleeping strangers.  Was anyone else seeing this?  I don't remember seeing anyone looking out the window like me.  At the distance the storm was, I just watched in wonder and wasn't afraid.  It was like a dream.  

How many people have flying dreams?  It is an amazing sensation.  I can remember clearly pushing off with my feet and floating up in the air without effort.  Turning in any direction I wished, almost as if I was a deep swimming pool.  It is such a clear feeling and has stayed with me for years.  It's as if I actually was capable of flight at one time and have a distinct memory of this.  

Either way, flying takes us places - in our dreams or in our waking.  At swim practice I would look up at the planes overhead and dream of being on that plane instead of turning laps.  Flying gives us the potential to dream.