Another Flight.

My Summer Story

My summer began with a graduation. It was April 7th and a full year’s hard work had to come to fruition in a degree and a series of academic awards. I spent a large sum of money, retreated back into student debt, and I wanted to make the most of it. But then the choice, and the decision. While on my bachelor party in Boston the weekend between the end of my classes and the convocation ceremony, I received a phone call. It was from my (new) boss. I reflected, pausing to understand the importance of my response. To answer yes, I can start work early, meant that I would need to abandon my personal goals for the summer, and plunge myself back into the sea of the corporate world. Were the funds associated with my new employment worth my last four months of freedom?

And yet here I am today quite literally trapped, hurling through the air at 500 miles an hour in the sky. I can think of no other mode of transportation that truly constrains your options such as flying. Even on a boat you can jump out to sea. Nevertheless as I continue to move at great speed trapped aboard my flight I have come to realize, that there is no real freedom. The airplane is simply a metaphor for time. The dimension to which all men and women are bound. And whether I spend that time learning to photograph new surroundings, or traveling to exotic places or working, the key is to remain mindful. Mindful of my surroundings, to appreciate the cabin I sit in as an opportunity to take in everything that life has to offer. What I’ve realized is that the decision I made isn’t about summer freedom or work, but about forcing myself to concede to the realities of this world and make the most of them with my time here. To you it may be a 4 month vacation, to me it’s applying my abilities to a complex problem and learning how to make a difference.

Another flight.