Jonathan Livingston Seagull

 

We've been spending a lot of time at our son and daughter-in-law's new home in Lehi helping prepare it for their moving. We've noticed several times when we arrive or depart that there are almost always flocks of seagulls circling overhead. It's not far from the north end of Utah Lake and only a few blocks from the Jordan River, so maybe that has something to do with it.

Recently I was watching the gulls, mostly floating lazily in big slow arcs. After a minute, I imagined I saw one tuck in his wings and go into a steep dive, then pull out at the last minute into a graceful barrel roll. It was exciting! And it was a flashback of about 48 years.

In 1973 I purchased a paperback copy of "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" by Richard Bach, which at the time was a "Glorious #1 Bestseller." I was quite enamored by the story and read it several times, underlining some favorite parts. My copy is still in good condition though some of the pages have come unglued.

When I was serving as a missionary in Brazil a few years later, I stumbled on a copy of the book translated into Portuguese, and HAD to purchase it (so I could practice the expanded vocabulary it introduced, of course ). This week, having been reminded of the book and having returned from our mission to Argentina, I amazoned a copy of the book in Spanish. It was fun the past few days to read the three versions!

For those who may not know the story or who have forgotten it, it's a fable about a seagull who is not content with "normal" things like the slow and laborious flapping of wings and fighting other gulls for scraps of food from fishing boats. He dreams of flying - soaring, speeding, diving, doing acrobatics - as elegant and powerful as a falcon. The book is his quest to break the bonds of tradition and push himself to excellence. "The hardest thing in the world is to convince a bird that he is free, and that he can prove it to himself if he'd just spend a little time practicing." It's also a message about forgiveness, kindness, love, ultimate progress, and service. It's a nice short read with a clever presentation of a good message. It was fun to flash back to the memories of the story after so many years.

I #GiveThanks for the examples of a few "Jonathans" in my life who have showed me that it's truly possible to break with tradition or leave the expected path, and push for excellence in unexpected ways in our lives. Like most of the gulls in the book, I'm a little slower at learning that lesson; but I'm grateful to be aware of the opportunity and to not give up trying, no matter where I am on the path of existence.

BTW, it's not always a bad thing to "fit the mold" or "follow the crowd." Most of us spend most of our lives doing that. But once in a while, we may have the inclination or inspiration to diverge; we should seek the wisdom to know when that is appropriate, and have the courage to do it with enthusiasm and conviction!