It’s a lazy Summer day. It’s picture perfect. The sky is blue. The Sun is hot.
The golden glow of the Sun gently toasts your skin, or starts to bake it, if you’re out too long. The cool breeze off the water balances out the heat of the Sun, as it wicks away the sweat from your skin.
The Blue Angels are in town and the weather couldn’t be better. If you don’t know the Blue Angels, they are the United States Navy’s flight demonstration team.
They are one of the oldest flying acrobatic teams in the world. When the jets fly by, you feel the awesome power that flies before you. And you can’t help but smile with admiration when you see the Ninjas of the sky do their thing.
You can also feel the camaraderie, and the buzz that’s in the air. The way folks say that the Blue Angels are “in town” … it’s as if we’ll be meeting them at Starbucks for coffee. (Actually, that would be seriously cool.)
I lucked out with finding a place to watch the show. I perched my Jeep high on a mountain top, with a near perfect view, save one tall and towering Evergreen. As the start of the Blue Angels show approached, it was a groundswell, of people and cars, all shuffling for pole position. It was an instant tribe formation. We all had the same goal in mind – enjoy the Blue Angels as they dance and dart along the sky.
When the Angels get close, it’s a strange silence. You hear the roar of the jets, but it’s as if time stops and there’s nothing else on your mind, but the moment. It’s like Peaceful Warrior:
“Where are you, Dan?” “Here.” “What time is it?” “Now.” “What are You?” “This Moment.”
As always, the show was an amazing demonstration of human and machine, both pushing each other to the edge. As I looked around, I saw that kids and adults alike were paying homage to the Angels with giddy grins and laugh out loud bursts of joy. The Blue Angels make it OK to be a kid, no matter how old you are.
I also noticed that it was the gathering that made this moment special.
As much as there are many things that are great to experience alone, the power of this one was that it’s a shared experience.
I noticed this when the first person left because they thought the show was over. Like a herd, plenty more followed. But the show was far from over. It was only just beginning. Shortly after, the Blue Angels launched into their full acrobatic whirls and swirls, and lit the sky with streams of smoke in patterns of skill and excellence at its finest.
A bunch of us were still left, and it felt sort of like a private showing now … from the Angels to us. In fact, there was one point where the Blue Angels swung by so low and so slow by our mountain top, it was as if to say, “Hello.” (Luckily, I found a picture that is pretty close to what this looked like — it’s the one above.)
The big thing that I noticed was that there was more buzz when the bigger crowd was around. That’s when I remembered Tony Robbins’ insight about why we communicate.
We communicate to amplify the feelings.
By sharing this beautiful Summer day with you, I’m hoping to do just that.
Photo by Christopher Parypa / Shutterstock.com
What a lovely article to read on a Sunday (for me). It is refreshing.
I enjoyed how you related an event to communicate the key message to us. And yes, when we communicate, we make our feelings known and felt even more.
@ Evelyn — Thank you.
In retrospect, for the full Summer effect, I should have tossed in a lemonade stand and a Summer carnival to make it complete 🙂
Your words always ring rich with wisdom, and help reveal the essence.
Hi JD,
This was a great post and I could really sense the excitement you experienced when you went to watch the Blue Angels!
In the UK, we have something similar called the Red Arrows. They fly together in coordination, are super fast and let off coloured smoke. Everyone loves the Red Arrows, both young and old.
A jet just went screaming past my window for the Sunday show. Saturday we had a parade and festival at Judkins park. However, the lemonade is only Crystal Light.
During the first practice last Thursday, I had a moment of pure panic (as did the cats, scattering to hiding places) when the Angels passed directly overhead. I wasn’t in that moment, but back on September 11, 2001, as jets scrambled from Quantico. Sometimes it can be shocking, when our reptile brains demonstrate how completely they can confuse Then and Now.
@ Hiten — Thank you.
I bet the Red Arrows are a blast. I like the touch of the colored smoke.
@ Tree — It’s always amazing what our bodies remember, even when our minds forget … and vice versa.
Communing such as you did during the transient beauty of the Seattle summer—what an awesome way to spend the day! The Angels buzzed my house that day, the sound of freedom like I’d not heard in a while. I envy you your spot & your herd making its way to you. Thanks for sharing, J.D.
Thanks for sharing that experience JD. The Amazing feats of the Blue Angels is an experience that speaks directly to the heart-mind. The truth about our own incredible potential as a human being is communicated loud and clear. Roger that! 🙂
@ Jimmy — You captured it — “the sound of freedom” — well put.
@ Rob — Yes, that’s what I see when I see the Blue Angels, the power of human potential.
Hi JD .. I watch in awe and wonderment when I see our Red Arrows or other formations … so pleased you were able to enjoy the Blue Angels from such an amazing vantage point and to share the moments … similar to our recent Olympics that have been very joyous .. actually as has been the year 2012 in the UK ..
Cheers Hilary
@ Hilary — It’s so great to see people at their best, and pushing the limits of possibilities.
And it’s great to have the right vantage point to soak it all up. Sometimes it’s the vantage point that makes or breaks the experience.
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