dreams of flight...why felix baumgartner matters...

two competing images in the news as of late - man's dreams of flight, and old white america's fear of obamageddon.  the absolute vitriol, irrationality, and idiocy that has become american political discourse...where the timing of the word "act of terror" is more important than words "created equal" juxtaposed with the beautiful lunacy of one man living his dream, and most other's nightmare, of falling towards the earth from nearly 25 miles above.  the first an example of just how small and petty we can be when we forget our smallness.  the second an awesome reminder of that smallness.


felix baumgartner stepped out of a small capsule nearly 130,000 feet above the earth, shattered the speed of sound, and somehow landed on his feet.  some are claiming it was a pointless stunt, a sham attempt at 15 seconds of fame by a digital age daredevil.  perhaps they've forgotten that it is mankind's inner drive to test the limits of ourselves, to push the envelope for the sake of pushing the envelope, that has lead to so much that we enjoy.  perhaps they've forgotten what it is to be human and to be full of wonder and awe, to imagine joining the birds in flight, to gaze up at the stars at night and wonder what they see.  regardless, they just do not get it.


this was important.  perhaps not moon-landing important, but important nonetheless.  set aside the scientific bonanza that this will carry, this was a reminder of what we, as a people, are capable of when we set aside the bullshit that defines too much of our lives and, literally, aim for the stars.  make no mistake about this...this was, quite simply, making the impossible a reality.  this was a stunningly beautiful reminder that we, as a people, can do anything if we get together and refuse to accept it cannot be done, no matter what "it" is...poetically combined with the reality witnessed by the man who lived his dream, who reminded us that reaching the greatest of heights serves to remind us just how small we really are, who reminded us that no matter how far we go, no matter our hopes and dreams and desires, in the end, we all just want to go home.

we tend to forget this, particularly during a never-ending election season.  regardless of what happens on November 6th, the world will go on, and we will remain small...the question is whether we will act the part.