I was looking at book descriptions on the web, looking for a book to read. Doing this started me thinking of books I thought were good reads. Richard Bach’s books are among my keepers I would have if I had to limit my library to those books that made the biggest impression on me. Among his best work, and probably the simplest read is, Jonathan Livingston Seagull.
I was not sure back then what attracted me this particular book and books like it. I found Seagull so simple, yet so profound! It was a book I gave to my own children, and close friends to read. My children were almost teenagers at the time and probably could not understand why I gave them a book about a stupid Seagull trying to fly.
It is a simply written book that can be read in no time. If you are ready to hear and understand the message, the book will be with you for your lifetime, such as it is with me. I have almost all the books Richard Bach has written. I think Bach was way ahead of his time when he wrote them. Richard Bach is in love with planes and flying, so his books all have something about flying in them. All of his books are well worth a read, if you are not afraid to explore new areas of possibility.
The gist of Jonathan Livingston Seagull is never quitting, never giving up. Never quitting is written in the book on a couple of levels, both our physical and spiritual level, so the lessons apply to all areas of life. Eventually Jonathan ascends his limitations, although he has his share of problems and nay-sayer’s along the way.
I have lived through some dark times. There were times when I would wonder what is the purpose of my life, and why am I going through this? Of course now, I know the reason and the answer, so it is a simple thing to look back and say to myself, it was not that bad. But it was bad of course, some days it was a matter of getting through an hour before I could look ahead to the next hour.
The biggest hope I had going for me when things were very dark was the thought that a year from that day, things could be no worse than they were at that moment. That was not a lot of consolation on one hand. On the other side of things, it was a truth of truths. The thought things could get no worse kept me going, and helped me through each day.
One day led to the next, and each day was not a lot better than the previous day. Over time I learned to accept that was just the way it was, or so it seemed. I was stubborn and refused to learn what I needed to learn from my situation, which added to my dilemma. Eventually I came out the other side, and I knew why those books were there for me all those years ago. They helped me understand that some things just take time.
Everything in life happens on its own schedule. The schedule of other things may or may not be the same as my own schedule. It may not even be close to the way I want it to happen. It is a hard lesson to know that no matter how much you want something to happen, if it happens at all, it happens on its own time.
Learning to enjoy the moment and enjoy what is happening that moment rather than what we want to be doing, or think we should be doing is one of the best things everyone can do for themselves. After all the moment we are wanting to happen may never happen in the manner we want it to, or worse yet, not happen at all. When those moments never happen at all, we may have wasted a lot of time waiting for nothing.
As much as I appreciate Jonathan Livingston Seagull, I spent a long time learning how long Jonathan had to wait.
