GUEST POST BY MICHAEL LOCKMAN, WEDESIGN, INC.

I had my wings tuned up recently. First time ever. In fact, it was only this year that I realized I had wings. We all do.

Photo by Kelly Lenihan

I began to suspect this was the case as I found myself yearning for just such a mechanism of escape. I wanted to fly far away. Life was not unfolding according to my script and I was at a crossroads. Trying to make a decision was not working for me, yet I kept forcing myself to choose a path. And then I learned to ask a different question.

Or maybe I just learned to ask the same question differently. Perhaps my desire to fly was not an attempt to escape, but a reluctance to accept that life was not always going to go as planned. What if instead of flying away, I flew above? Such a place has height and perspective, a depth-of-field of potential self-awareness. And what if I could learn to notice and be aware of whatever I was experiencing, whatever I was feeling and just listen, observe with no judgment?

…I would fly…

It turns out that our wings do a lot of work. Besides affording us perspective, they are useful for providing shelter to a friend or loved one. I sought out just such comfort under the wings of friends and advisers (spiritual and business) as I mended my feathers. For me, the cycle came full circle when my 5 year-old sat next to me on the couch and said, “Dad, can you just put your arm around me for a little bit?”

Our wings are high-performance machines. As such they need a team of technicians, a pit crew of friends, loved ones and practitioners (physical and mental) to ensure that all the parts are working in unison, able to propel us to new heights. I am grateful to my team for helping me to soar. Helping me to see. Who is on your flight crew?

Michael Lockman founded WEdesign Inc. in 1995 to offer sustainable design and consultation services to local homeowners. As the owner, designer and project manager, he is passionate about creating gardens that go beyond aesthetics. His sustainability skills are hard at work every day, helping to improve the relationship between homeowners and the environment, one garden at a time. A freelance writer and former adjunct professor in Antioch University’s Environment and Community program, Michael holds an M.A. in Ecological Design. www.we-design.net