My airplane

Right now, this very second I am on an airplane headed to Chicago. Every time I am on an airplane, which is about twice a month these days, I am amazed the moment the wheels leave the ground. I usually turn to the person sitting next to me and express my feeling of awe. Think about it, right now I am sitting in a metal tube that is 30,000 feet in the air that is flying! FLYING! It’s incredible! And to add to the wonder of it, I am sitting in this metal tube tinkering on my computer like it’s normal. Haha. Nothing about this is normal yet everything about it is normal…

A few rows up from me is the wing. I can see it out the window. I can see a lot of little screws holding things in place and I can see pieces of metal move up and down as the plane maneuvers. I wonder how many different pieces make up this plane. Thousands? I am guessing millions.

I can’t help but imagine what the early days of flight were like. There must have been intense and expensive trial and error processes. It makes me think about the people who invented these massive machines and the frustration they must have experienced and the dedication they must have demonstrated! I am thankful for them, whoever they are. (I know about the first people credited with creating the planes but I am sure there were a lot of other nameless people who were involved with the process!)

Flight is absolutely a blessing in my life! Flight allows me to see my family that is scattered across the country several times a year and it allows me to help a lot more people in my line of work than I would be able to with out it. Flight has allowed me to see beautiful sights and experience different cultures. The miracle of flight has produced a lot of little miracles inside of my own heart because of the experiences it has allotted me.

Right now I am headed to Chicago for the Young Worker NextUp Summit. It’s a conference that is meant to inspire positive and progressive change in our communities. What does that mean? It means inspiring people to fight for better jobs, higher pay, better benefits, gender equality, diversity, etc. My work feels like my airplane.

Last summer I went to Leavenworth, WA to float the river. I feared that my sunglasses might fall off during the float because  the river was low and there were small rapids. My sensitive eyes don’t do well in the sun without sunglasses so I bought some chums – a handy little devise that ensures your glasses won’t fall off your head. As I was floating down the river I felt totally connected to my heart and I wished that moment for everyone on the planet. I wanted everyone to have opportunities to experience what nature does for me.

For me it’s nature – being in the mountains away from the business of life. The smells, the sounds, the colors – I love everything about being in the mountains! For Erin it’s working out. Before my mom got sick running was the thing for her. I think my dad would say the beach is his spot. For some people it might be writing or getting lost in a good book or eating at a certain restaurant. Whatever it is for people, I wish we could all have more of it.  Because I believe that life is supposed to enjoyed as much as possible!

The question I ask myself daily, how can life be enjoyed for those that don’t make enough money to support themselves or their families even though they work really, really hard?  How can people create moments of enjoyment when they can’t go to the doctor because they don’t have insurance? How can kids dream big when they go to school and get bullied for this or that?

I can’t create an airplane because it already exists (and I’m not good with machinery J ) but I strive to create positive change that will bless the lives of others. And the cool thing about it is everyone can do that - no matter their line of work. A little practice, awareness, dedication and perhaps some trial and error is all it takes. A helping hand, a listening ear, compassion, putting an end to gossip and encouraging acceptance and love.

Just like the different colors and strokes on my painting, everyone is different. When we work together and for each other and realize we are all in this together, beautiful things are sure to be the result!