Have you ever watched birds and other winged forms of life flying effortlessly hither, thither and yon and wished that you too could fly over houses and fields, hills and trees, pastures and gullies unobstructed by others of your kind enjoying the freedom of limitless space?
I feel frustrated at not having the ability to fly from the moment I awake and see sparrows, blackbirds, doves, yellow breasts, doctor boobies, wild parrots, butterflies, pond flies and other winged creatures flying and flitting around, without a care and without a fear, over everything as they enjoy the beauty of nature under the light of the early rising sun.
Even as breathtaking landscapes and seascapes are erased by the disappearance of the setting sun beyond the horizon at the end of another day,
I continue to be frustrated and in envy of creatures that fly as l watch at sightless bats darting everywhere as they fly over treetops and rooftops, navigating with nature’s built-in echo technology, seeing where regular eyesight keeps us the most evolved of all creatures in the dark.
My frustration at not being able to fly over things intensifies when I go to the beach and – relaxing on the warm sand, soaking up nature’s vital vitamin D from the sunlight cloaking my body – I watch those nameless (to me) wide-winged migratory birds diving like MIG fighters into the water to snap up unsuspecting fish.
However, if I were asked to single out the daily activity that causes me the most frustration because I, man, was not created to fly over anything except by artificial means, as in a helicopter or other aircraft, hot air balloon, hand glider, parachute or something else of the sort, I would have to identify driving as that activity.
For example, driving in and around Bridgetown after Tropical Storm Tomas took out the Wharf Road was among the worst experiences drivers faced and I am sure most would have wished they could fly over everything rather than be stuck in that traffic.
Fortunately, this was a temporary condition which will be significantly eased with the full return to use of that road from tomorrow and even more so at the end of the Christmas rush in two weeks.
On the other hand, the frustration will remain into the foreseeable future on approaching roundabouts along the ABC Highway between the Simpson Motors section and Garfield Sobers Roundabout.
How I wish I could fly over each of these roundabouts rather than having to reach boiling point, with the frustration of being stuck in those long lines of traffic going nowhere in a hurry, especially when I am in a hurry.
And how I wish I could fly over that stretch by BET rather than have to dive into that whirlpool of death waiting to happen, which is created by the three rivers of traffic rushing in from different directions.
Since I cannot escape by flying, I have turned to wondering if a Red Bull would help.
• Al Gilkes heads a public relations firm
