Fifty or sixty geese set out across the Strait of Juan de Fuca toward Canada while I was watching today.
They are flying high up on a strong current, their fluid vee undulating with each set of wing beats. Though I’ve heard small flocks of them arriving at the lagoon for weeks now, this is the first formation I’ve seen this year.
I want that sure knowing for myself, a confidence in my direction that requires no maps. I want that steady, elemental pull toward a goal that cannot be denied or deterred. Which of all my dreams is my true north? Which is magnetic? I have no established route over the vast expanse of saltwater, no embedded knowledge of freshwater ponds glistening on Canadian shores. But set out, I must, with or without an atlas, whether or not my destination can be found in any gazetteer.
CONTEMPLATIONS
• Do you feel a pull toward some other place?
• How adventurous are you? Do you set out on trips without maps or destinations?
• Do you proceed toward goals navigating by intuition or by design?
• Does it matter to you to know (or think you know) where you’re headed?
• For you, is it about the journey, the destination, or both?
Ever wonder if all geese migratory? Find out the answer in this brief episode of Bird Note, created by Seattle Audubon.
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April 18th, 2009 at 5:59 am
You said “I want that sure knowing for myself, a confidence in my direction that requires no maps. I want that steady, elemental pull toward a goal that cannot be denied or deterred. Which of all my dreams is my true north? Which is magnetic?”
Oh, how I identify with that! A longing that I am sure lots of people share, so beautifully captured. Thank you.
May we all find our ‘true north’.
April 18th, 2009 at 7:33 am
Yes, Susannah, I do hope that resonates with others. You made me think about this again, and I realize that though I believe I have surety about my goals and plans, as soon as I meditate on nature and observe those forces which feel so absolute, then I can waver in my own sureness. Geese seem to have such certain destiny. I’ll have to ask my local ornithologist if some of them ever just make it part of the way, find a welcoming beach such as the one where I live, and simply decide that this is far enough this year. Or is their biological imperative so strong that it’s Canada or nothing? Sure, it’s easy to say: just enjoy the journey, which I believe I do as well as most, but at my stage of life, I really want to make it to a few more destinations! Thanks for inspiring me to dig a little deeper into this question. ~Oriana