Sea gulls are lucky. Day in and day out they preside over the water in front row seats, the best in the house. If they tire of or become bored with their vistas, they merely spring up and take off in flight to survey things from higher up.
When I was a kid, aside from wanting to be an archaeologist who was also an Olympic athlete who on occasion explored the Amazon jungle and later joined the Peace Corps and traveled the world, I wanted to be a sea gull. Nothing could be better than living near the water with the ability to fly.
Did you ever have dreams where you could fly? I did, mostly as a child. If I ran fast enough I could spring off like a sea gull, but instead of flapping my wings I swam through the air kicking my feet. One time a gust of wind blew me way too high up and I was frightened--yet thrilled--much like riding a roller coaster.
They say (these people known as "they" seem to get around a lot and are very knowledgeable) that flying dreams symbolize confidence and freedom if it's a pleasant dream; and fear of something one is trying to fly away from if it's a nightmare.
Dreams of flying have eluded me for years now, but last weekend's ride on the work boat was almost as liberating and thrilling as swimming through the air in a dream.
Country Girl Kate has some absolutely incredible pictures of our wonderful Captain and First Mate, so please check them out. She does such a great job of capturing the moment.
It's too late for me to be an Olympic athlete, and the Peace Corps doesn't seem practical right now. But I'll never give up on flying with the sea gulls.
Even if it's only in my dreams.
15 comments:
What a lovely, evocative post. Now, where did I leave my wings...
I have flying dreams a lot...sometimes I'm soaring and sometimes I have trouble gaining altitude.....
I wanted to be an F-14 fighter pilot when I was a young girl with dreams...I wanted to go to the Naval Academy before women were allowed...then they finally allowed women and I watched what they went through. My dreams went out the window, but whenever I see or hear flight ops close to our home, I am reminded of that long ago dream.
CBW, you could probably still make the Olympics if you had the time to train. You always were a natural athlete.
I wanted to be in the Air Force, but health issues prevented it. However, I have learned that I am right where God wanted me to be. And I am o.k. with that.
Never once have I had a flight dream. I do, however, regularly have dreams of being unclothed in public and forgetting to attend class until the final exam. I would prefer dreams of flying.
I am terrified of heights, so dreams of flying are my nightmares.
Seagulls are fine, as long as people aren't FEEDING THEM!! Then, they become Sky Rats, and scare the puddin' out of me!
My little sis is a pilot and I like flying with her...seagulls not so much.
Gonna be in the hood Fiday..you gonna be home?
I wanted to be a detective when I was a kid .. tho before I read Nancy Drew, I read Cherru Ames and thought being a nurse would be my calling .. then I discovered Penny Parrish and all I wanted was to be an actress... maybe a nurse/detective/actress might be a hard job to find ... but I am looking anyway
I am quite good at squawking, preening, and eating food that isn't mine. I could be a seagull, except for the carrion and the flying and stuff.
I have flying dreams a few times a year and I absolutely love waking up after one because it always gives me a renewed sense of happiness for some reason. They've eluded me this last year...hopefully in time they'll return.
Pueblogirl - Thank you.
MPM-That failure to gain altitude is one I'd forgotten about. Very frustrating, those dreams.
LOTS - I can see you as a figher pilot, and you certainly are in the right spot for plane watching.
Native devil - you are way too kind, but the only sport I excel in at present is fiddler crab evasion and horse fly dodging. You are indeed where you're supposed to be.
Caution Flag - I have those exact same dreams! Nightmares! I hate being unprepared for class. Late for the bus. Late for work. Standing at the bus stop with no clothes on. OK, I'm stopping now.
BHE-Those rat-like sea gulls can also be found in the wal-mutant and/or k-mart parking lots. Not sure what it is about those 2 places, but they must hold sea gull conventions there regularly.
NNG - Sent you an e-mail. Hopefully we can hook up.
Daryl- YOu were destined to be an actress, you'd be fantastic.
foolery-Maybe a goose would be better, a Chesapeake Bay Family goose. Not Gustav, the terror, but rather one of those nice Canada geese whose migration patterns have been forever disrupted by Chesapeake Bay Mother. Hey, you'd get three square meals a day over there, not bad.
Auds- They will indeed return. They will.
********
Massive lightning strikes around here last night and this evening. It struck somewhere in the back yard last night. Did you hear me scream? Everyone else on the Eastern seaboard did.
Power went out once this evening, and it ain't over yet. Flash flood warnings for the Eastern Shore, but right now I'd say the Western Shore of the bay is looking mighty damp.
Monday's over, the worst day of the week. Hooray.
OOh, I used to have flying dreams too - they were AWESOME!
I just want to be one of the little chickadees in my backyard. Seagulls poop all over my car.
OK, on second hand, that might be kind of amusing, too.
That photo is postcard perfect. I'd love to soar with them one day.
baroness-The chicadee is one of my favorite birds, full of personality and cute as a bug's ear. They say ("they" know a lot)that chicadees are easily tamed, or at least trained to eat out of your hand.
Grandma J. - You soar every day without leaving the ground.
Amazing as my most vivid dreams are of flying. It's weird as I always start the dream knowing what I'm doing as far as flying goes, then as the dream goes on I start questioning my ability about knowing how to fly. I wake up as I begin to spiral down.
Yes, I know any half decent psychiatrist will have a field day with the above! (sigh)
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