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| Wonderment | Jan '06 |
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| By Cliff Robertson |
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For Many Americans, flying has lost its sense of "wonderment," its childlike wonder that man can leave his earthbound world like birds--"birds of freedom." Those among us who are glider pilots are quite aware that we fly with the elements. Our ships are not emitting carbon-fossil fumes. They're not bruising or abusing the environment. Like their feathered friends, they're working with nature.
Obviously we need powered flights. It's not only necessary in our daily lives--our military depends on it. But what we have lost--to a degree--is the sense of magic we had less than a century ago. I'm not sure when it began, this loss of wonderment. Some blame the 747--the behemoth airlines carrying hundreds of tourists each flight. Some would blame it on America's restless nature. Like juveniles, we become inured to change, or inured to status quo. Whatever. We become bored. "What's new?" has become our daily query.
As if we're only interested in the new. Of course, this impatience with "the old" has its positive side. We're on the cutting edge of science, technology, economics. We enjoy the highest standing of living--materially--but we've overtaken proven family values in the process. Some would say, like the lyrics in "Oklahoma," "...We've gone about as far as we can go." Of course, there are no limits to man's exploration of space, and there are benefits to that exploration. But I wonder if we have forgotten to wonder, like we used to.
I was reminded of this (loss) recently watching Greta Van Susteren on Fox TV. She was doing a segment on the Navy's Blue Angels aerobatic flying team. I was delighted at Greta's almost childlike enthusiasm, even though she had flown with them on a previous segment last year. She was clearly "turned on" by the experience. This was particularly gratifying, given that her professional life of late is given to an almost endless array of crime cases, homicides in particular. Given her lawyer credentials, this is understandable. But her appreciation for the great talent and dedication of the Blue Angels team was evident on her sweet-fresh face. It was as if another side of her had emerged from the daily grime of crimes. And her eyes--she was seeing and feeling the love that those of us have and will never lose for this wonderment--this wonderment of flying.
I Wonder
I wonder
If we've forgotten to wonder
Like we use to
To wonder
To wander
To let our dreams
Ponder
Over things
Forgotten
Released
So very long ago.
I wonder
If I might
Reach
Way back
In time
Sublime
When I was young
And curl up
With my dreams
Of yesterday
Cuddle warm
And hold those dreams
Till morn
Or never--ever
Ever let them go...
I wonder.
P.S. I was privileged to fly with the Blue Angels a few years ago. Also the Air Force Thunderbirds. I've never come back to earth since!
Copyright Cliff Robertson
Academy Award and Emmy Award winning screen star Cliff Robertson has owned and flown a wide array of aircraft, including a Spitfire MK IX, a Messerschmitt ME-108, a French aerobatic Stampe SV4 biplane, a Grob Astir glider (in which he still holds a distance record) and a Beech Baron 58. A holder of single, multi, instrument and commercial licenses, as well as balloon, the pilot of many thousands of hours has accumulated many aviation awards, including EAA's highest Eagle award and the AOPA Sharples award. Cliff was recently voted and honored as the Veteran of the Year by the American Veteran Association. His columns will appear in his soon-to-be-published book.
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