Inspiration from a Feather – Are You a Bird or a Plane?

Read Time:4 Minute, 25 Second

“If a feather can fly on its own, and a bird cannot fly without feathers, then do the feathers fly the bird?”

Inspiration from a feather – Do some moments stand out in your mind as pivotal points in your life? It almost feels like the author of your story chooses that moment to change the direction in which the protagonist (you) is headed. The reader comes to the end of a chapter knowing that the good stuff is ahead of them if they only just keep flipping those pages. And that one particular scene will follow through the rest of the story like a thread, overlapping and weaving with other pivotal moments.

I have a handful of moments like that in my life. The moment I stood at launchpad 39A and saw Atlantis up close, in the shadow of awe of what humans are capable of achieving when they have a common goal and inspiration in mind. The moment that “Paris” arrived at my door and delivered to me the idea of my book. The moment I decided that I deserved and wanted a second shot at love again. And this. THIS moment on the lawn with my child.

We took out the blanket and, with my morning coffee, we sat there chatting about the trick plane practicing above the house. We watched a feather float by, gliding through the air and up high into the trees and eventually out of sight, leaving behind the trace of inspiration in the air. Their eyes widen and a smile develop when I asked, “if a feather can fly on its own, and a bird cannot fly without feathers, then do the feathers fly the bird?” We kept chatting and from that point, they slowly walked the conversation to the expansion of the universe, as I sat in awe of this kid of mine. I knew at this moment two things – one: this time we have together is beyond a value which I can place on it and is slipping by me at a frightening rate; and two: how am I teaching them to fly? Like a plane or a bird?

A Plane

A plane needs fuel and an immense amount of power to take off and move through the air. The force can be so utterly powerful that you can feel the wakened engines in your gut. As an aero and spacegeek, I can tell you that these mechanical winged creatures are unmistakenly impressive. It takes effort, intense planning and design, and collaboration with countless individuals for years before it ever even takes flight. Planes are crafted from thought and built from the dreams and passions of their creators, but planes often fight against the wind. They need to be steered and directed and fueled and refueled to make any move. And if you pluck a nut or bolt from the wing of a plane, it does not travel through the air on its own as a feather will.

A Bird

But a bird? A bird uses its feathers and wind to do the hard work to soar and glide through the air. A small wren can barely pick up a french fry but has the ability to rise through the air. And their feathers come from within them, growing, shedding, replacing when needed, throughout their entire life. This little bird feels the wind and sun upon their face. They harness the wind to effortlessly glide through the air, diving down and soaring back up again in a beautifully choreographed dance of air and feathers. It’s what makes me wish I had wings with feathers instead of nacelles.

Your feathers

What are the things that come from within you that make you feel as though you are flying? What makes you feel like you are soaring without effort? The things that drop you off in “the zone” to emerge hours later feeling invigorated and energized? Because I honestly believe that each of us has the ability to fly and we often don’t do enough of it.

I want my daughter to know that her talents and abilities are unique gifts to this world, and those are her feathers. But how do we, as parents, best teach these important lessons? How do we teach and inspire them and others to fly? We have to live out the messages we declare as invaluable; we have to lead by example.

So… here I am, taking this small bit of inspiration and fluffing my feathers with all that I’ve got. The only way to know if one is truly capable of flying is to actually begin to use your wings and find the balance between fighting against the wind and putting it to use to reach new heights. So that’s what I’m doing. I’m taking these feathers of written word and artistic ventures, and I’ve made the decision to no longer clip my wings, but to give gratitude for the feathers and inspiration that I’ve been given. And as I learn to fly once again, I can hardly wait to share with you the view from the clouds.

So my questions to you are… Are you a bird or a plane? Do you fight the wind, or let it uplift you? What are the feathers which come from within you?