To see the world through the window of 13F is truly amazing! The perspective from thousands of feet in the air is quite a gift.
A perfect example was the tug I saw pushing a string of barges up river. I was watching the landscape drift by as we flew back to Phoenix from Atlanta not too long ago. As we approached the Mississippi I was struck by how far I could see the river meandering to the North. Even at 33,000 feet , I could see the water boiling under the rear of the boat as it labored against the flow. You could see the wake
trailing off to the river’ s edge. It brought back a memory of sitting on the bank of the Missouri River when I was a kid growing up near
Omaha. When a barge went by, the water level would rise. It ‘s interesting to note that the pilot of a tug can only see as far as the next bend in the river. He has to trust that he can navigate beyond that point , that he can power on . He knows that somewhere up ahead lies his destination even though he can’ t see it , even though there is uncertainty. From the window seat , however, the whole world opens up. You can see beyond each bend, beyond any uncertainty. You can see adventure snaking along for miles. And there, just below a hazy, mostly obscure horizon lies your destination. Can you see it? With practice comes clarity. Isn’t that just like life! We find ourselves struggling along, one foot in front of the other, not quite sure what lies beyond the next bend. Wondering if our destination is truly there. Yet , when you see your life from altitude, you see things from a different perspective, and the task at hand doesn’t seem so daunting. That ‘s why I like to fly. That ‘s why I like the window seat. Because it offers a fresh perspective. It helps me to see things differently, to re-focus. Like the pilot of the tug, if we know that others have made the journey before – that should embolden us; if we have a map – that builds confidence; but until we run the race and make the journey for ourselves , life is not complete. Seeing the course from the window seat encourages me, it gives me hope. When we see our lives from altitude, we see what lies beyond the next bend, and we might even see our destination, right there – just below a hazy, mostly obscure horizon.
