Imagine an ocean. A small boat sits on the surface, bobbing in accordance to the waves, and far above the sun burns hot. You know, sitting in your boat, that you are safe from the seawater below and being melted by the sun above; you can even see others soaring high above, only to fall into the ocean and drown.
For a long time you’ve thought the boat is the best place to be, neither will you sink or burn, but never have you felt the wind on your face without it being tainted by seaspray, and never have you felt the glorious warmth of the sun up close. It’s never been a concern of yours, no, it’s better to stay in the middle and not risk the peril of either.
But perhaps you see someone close soar into the sky with majesty and grace and wonder what they’re feeling--what you’re missing. Even when they fall into the ocean, coughing and spluttering, you realize that you’ve never felt what they’re feeling. All you’ve ever felt is the uncomfortable wooden seat of the boat under your rear, the chill spray of the ocean on your face.
Will you stand up and find out?
Or will you be content to live a life with a predictable sway, a predictable caydence, a predictable course?
I want to stand up, to feel the wind on my face, but it’s hard. By going for those highest of highs, you’re submitting to the lowest of lows. Who wants to drown in the ocean?
I don’t.
You probably don’t either.
But I want to feel how those who fly feel; I want to know it personally. It’s scary taking that first step off the boat, hoping that your wings will carry you up long enough that you’ll feel the sun before the ocean, but it’s only the first step. There’s so much more out there than just an ocean, a boat, and the sky. There are other people.
And for that, I think it’s worth it.
People bring the color to the sky, the depths to the ocean, and the joy and sorrow in companionship. While staying on the boat is easiest, I cannot simply ignore the opportunity of seeing the world through someone else’s eyes for just a moment, and to do that, you need to meet them
Go fly.
Styles Yugen, signing off.