I wOuLd RaThEr fLy.

"It's my turn you guys!" says Kallin, his voice shaking with excitement.  "I'll make it a rrrrrrreally good one."  I can see his delicate freckles sprinkled across his face as his bright blue eyes deeply concentrate on the distant window across the room.  "Okay, I've got one.  Would you rather be able to FLY or quickly heal like Wolverine?"

On the opposite sofa, I watch Aidan take off his glasses and clean them with his T-shirt as he dissects the question in his mind.  He's always been one to completely weigh out his options before making a wise decision.  "I would definitely choose the healing powers."  

"Me too!" Kallin jumps in.  Both brothers nod in agreement.  Pleased with their matching answers, I watch both of them continually build one another's confidence as they inversely take turns shaking their heads.

I suppose I could barge into the conversation and shock my sweet nephews with how strongly I disagree, but third graders are just way to much fun to sit back and observe.
..........................

I think I've always been this way.  Surely, at some point, everyone will have that Superman dream in their sleep where they wake up the next morning, sit up in bed and think, "Gee, flying would be awesome."  But it's deeper than that to me.

Driving over the rolling hills and passed the grassy fields, I constantly catch myself daydreaming.  I picture traveling parallel to the car instead of sitting inside it.  I feel the wind on my face as I imagine gliding through the mountains and trees, and dancing across the river like a swift water skipper.  I envision free falling forever, eyes closed, not even breaking a sweat, because I know at any moment I can stop my fall and soar off in a new direction.  

And the clouds…  They'd be a part of me like oxygen to my lungs.  They'd be a mattress of my hopes and dreams and an escape from my sorrows and worries.  They would taste like a refreshing beverage for my soul and warm me with their protection like a thick, wool blanket.

My whole life, I've always looked up at the sky, and seen a dream.  But that's all it ever was to me.  One that would never be real, and you'd always be forced to wake up from.  It was nothing more than a daydream on a road trip or silly material for the "Would you rather" game.

Then I met Mitch.  And he's decided to make this dream his reality.  And I thought about it and finally realized I can too….

I'm totally getting my pilots license!  :) :) :)