The Paragliding Community
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I was reading an article in one of my management publications at work on a Monday morning. The article spoke about how the human spirit yearns for a connectedness and a sense of community or belonging. It said that communities are, by definition, care-taking institutions that abide by informal or formal values that amplify the importance of people and human relationships. It went on to say that we make emotional, social and intellectual attachments to institutions and the people in them. A community is where people come first.
I paused to reflect upon the previous weekend, most of which was spent at Ed Levin Park. I was hanging out with para/hang gliding pilots, all of whom longed for the ever illusive soaring flight. |
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It was not soarable last weekend at Ed Levin, but it was flyable. Considering the weather of late, this was enough to get new students, old timers, even coastal pilots, out of hibernation and onto the hill.
We organized drivers and rides to the top. We recounted flying stories. We offered tips, encouragement, praise and admonitions. We shared lunches and laughter. We flew together, repaired broken lines, helped each other re-pack and then we piled ourselves back into the vehicles for another ride up. Logged flying time was minimal, but the sky was clear and crisp and we enjoyed the scenery from the top of the hill. Everyone would have loved to have had soaring conditions, but I think we were all grateful for what we got -- a beautiful weekend where everyone was able to fly and no one was hurt.
One day soon each of us will experience our own personal best, epic flight or fly well in challenging conditions. But in the meantime, we will enjoy the company of our community -- a community which is both local and global. Best wishes to all of you for good health and happiness. I hope you achieve your goals in the air, as well as in your earthly pursuits. I'm looking forward to seeing you on the hill!
We organized drivers and rides to the top. We recounted flying stories. We offered tips, encouragement, praise and admonitions. We shared lunches and laughter. We flew together, repaired broken lines, helped each other re-pack and then we piled ourselves back into the vehicles for another ride up. Logged flying time was minimal, but the sky was clear and crisp and we enjoyed the scenery from the top of the hill. Everyone would have loved to have had soaring conditions, but I think we were all grateful for what we got -- a beautiful weekend where everyone was able to fly and no one was hurt.
One day soon each of us will experience our own personal best, epic flight or fly well in challenging conditions. But in the meantime, we will enjoy the company of our community -- a community which is both local and global. Best wishes to all of you for good health and happiness. I hope you achieve your goals in the air, as well as in your earthly pursuits. I'm looking forward to seeing you on the hill!
