| | I've only been angry at the entire human race on two occasions. Well three, but two times I was really angry. Now I know we've done some pretty atrocious things to one another at different moments throughout history so I don't want to appear trite or oblivious to some horrific events that have been apart of our collective experience when sharing my two moments of anger with you. I am not ignoring the wars or marginalized peoples or hate crimes or the holocaust or on and on. No you see these moments are almost expected. Historically we look back and see this as a part of the human condition. But the two moments I really lost it with you guys were not expected. The first time was about 14 yrs ago. It was my first time to fly on a plane. I of course was quite nervous, understandably so. I mean it just makes no sense, a bulk of metal floating in air. I had read about the Bernoulli principle and lift force and all. How lift force is caused because there is more pressure below the wing than above it due to its curved on top, flat on bottom shape. The faster the plane moves, the more air passes above and below the wing, so the greater the difference in pressure. Once the lift force is more than the weight of the airplane, the plane takes off. I had read all of this somewhere. But please, a bulk of metal floating in air? I was nervous. It was raining outside which added to the nerves. We boarded the plane. I had a window seat. I said hello to the elderly gentleman sitting next to me and told him it was my first time to fly. He started talking about Bernoulli and I said, "I know. Thank you very much." and began reading the emergency evacuation card. I counted the seats between the exit row and me. We taxied to the runway, the pilot announced to us all that we were "cleared for take off" and then I was pressed to my seat by the amount of acceleration necessitated to create enough "lift force". It worked! The Bernoulli principle worked! We climbed through the rain and then disappeared into a gray fog. Looking out the window I could see nothing. Just gray. Gray, gray, gray and then...oh my word. We broke through the clouds and it was the most stunning thing I'd ever seen. The sun was a brilliant orange red just above the horizon, which, was puffy white, almost ocean like, reflecting and retaining color all at the same time. It was heavenly. I couldn't breath it was so gorgeous. As I sat there in complete awe I began to realize I was feeling something completely unexpected. I was angry. I mean really, really angry. I was mad at the old man sitting next to me. I was mad at Bernoulli. I was mad at my parents. I was mad at everyone, all of you. How had no one told me? I knew scores of people who had flown on a plane. Why didn't someone, anyone tell me it was this beautiful? Why hadn't you stopped me on the street and said "so, so sorry, I don't know you at all but you simply must fly in a plane on a cloudy day. It's the most beautiful moment imaginable when you finally burst through the gray. It's so peaceful and angelic up there. Here's $499 go anywhere you like just go now!" I was so mad! I stopped the flight attendant as she walked by and said, "Do you see this? Is that not incredible?" "What?" she said. I hated her. I tell everyone I know about this. I tell you now. It will take your breath away. I've flown quite often since then. In fact being that most of what I do involves travel I fly most every month and some weeks every day. I always ask for a window seat. And I've grown to love airplanes and Bernoulli. There is this sound that is only the sound of sitting in an airplane. The sound of air, this whirring hiss that itself is a little angelic. You can cup your hands to your ears almost covering them completely and come close to duplicating it but not quite. You hear that? The only way I know to describe it is airy. Well during one of my flights I was listening to this sound and looking out the window at waves of white clouds with sunlight turning a section of them yellow and this phrase popped into my head, "all this for a king". I had this image of an ocean of angels in song and their voices like none ever heard. English probably not the language of choice and for some reason in my head it seemed like the sound of air, a sound that contained all the pitches and tonal colors at once and was at once overwhelmingly beautiful and compelling, reflecting and retaining all at once. I started thinking about the well-known passages from Revelations where John is given a brief glimpse into the heavens to find a chorus existing eternally. I recalled the Psalms when the Psalmist describes the heavens and earth as constantly telling the glories of God. Thinking about the reality that we exist to be apart of this resounding anthem. We are here just for this - all for a King. The King.
The second time I was angry with you was when I was in Hawaii and tasted pineapple there. Why didn't you tell me?
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| | Posted 5/13/2004 12:02 PM - 60 views - 147 comments
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