Monday, January 19th, 2015

Dallas, Texas

 

Pilots

 

 

On our way to Dallas the pilot was sleeping while in flight.  I was sitting right next to him.  Now let's get this right.  I was not sitting in the cockpit, nor was the sleeping pilot next to me in the cockpit.  He and I were in passenger seats while he was being flown to his next destination assignment.  Another pilot was flying.

 

As the pilot next to me with uniform and all arose from what appeared to be a good slumber, I decided to ask him, do you fly planes?

 

"Yes I do."

 

I asked him about the training he went through, so he told about his year in flight school.  I also was curious if he had his own life, whether his work was very demanding.

 

"Do you have down time, and at home?"

 

"I spend about half of my time on the road."

 

"The road?" I asked the pilot.

 

"Not exactly on the road, but in hotels while in transit..."

 

The plane had landed and stopped.  Passengers where filing out.  We kept talking. He was in the aisle seat, I had the window.  We were immersed in conversation.  "I better let you get out", he said.  He had proudly spoken of his trade, which I could appreciate.

 

Not but 3 hours later, on the Santa Fe Trail, on foot with monk Vrajananda, we spotted a proud owl perched on top of a tree.  It was at dusk and one fellow at the base of the tree was transfixed on the bird (and the bird on him) until Braj and I shouted out to get the owl's attention.  The owl turned his head around towards us.  He then spread out his wings and took to flight.

 

That's two pilots I personally met in one day

 

Our guru, Srila Prabhupada, said of piloting that each one of us must fly our own plane, meaning that after taking guidance and training by the guru one must learn to be somewhat self reliant while keeping guru's instructions in mind.

 

And may the Source be with you.

 

7 KM