Saturday, July 7, 2012

Wild Geese


Flying with the Flock

As geese flap their wings they create an uplift for the bird following. By flying together in a V formation, the flock's flying range is 71% greater than that of any bird flying alone.”
                                      Book of Wisdom Website

Wild geese flying over the lake this morning, honking their distinctive chorus. Without breaking formation, they circle, thrust their legs forward and splash down with all the grace of flying elephants. You'd think the Lord would have considered that landing when making them so big and fat in the middle. Still they do hang together in an enviable manner; they don't mind following a trusted leader right into the middle of the lake, boats be damned. You never hear one goose saying to another, 'oh, heck no, I'm not going down there—did you see that pontoon cruiser bearing down at warp speed!' No, they just follow like—well, like geese.

There is something about the call of wild geese that speaks to the half-wild inside of us. When we hear them high above, we automatically begin to scan the skies for signs of life. Even when we deal with the nasty temper of nesting water fowl on a daily basis in our parks and inland pools, we can't resist that distant call. Like our cave dwelling forebears, we can only imagine life lifted off the heavy, listless stumping of feet into the freedom of lightly feathered air. We'd like to soar and sink, float on wind currents, swoop and turn effortlessly.

Some things in life are not fair. You may have discovered that for yourself by now, but just in case...Geese get to fly, and we land-locked souls get to think and debate, ponder and argue, create, discover, make love, relate, learn and start over again and again. Ah well...such is life.

If you should hear that distant honking today, look to the skies. Let the wild goose in you break loose; watch it soar, turn and splash down. Vicarious flight is better than no flight at all.

                                              In the spirit,
                                              Jane

No comments: