Savvi and I
The other day Savvi and I was driving home after a day’s flying and I
tuned into BBC. I think Savvi was perhaps not as pleased about the BBC thing but
I think he was being very polite about it. They were talking about the distinguishing
emotions between animals and humans. One guy mentioned his sense of nostalgia
was what made him different to animals. That there were a few different kinds
of nostalgia but in essence, an animal can’t become nostalgic. Another said it
was the degree of love or the degree of hate that makes us different. It of
course was my cup of tea and could not help but go along with the train of
though. The fact that we are very different to any other animal on this planet
is unmistakable – of course many arguing that we are the worst of the animals
on the planet, with good reason too. However the fact that we are different was
not the debate but rather the range of difference that separated us from all
other animals.
“I can sit and think. I know that I am a human being. I know I have a
choice to act accordingly.” I asked while looking at Savvi. Personally I
thought it was being aware or knowing about the sense of Self that made us so
different. And as I said being able to exercise a choice – this choice is the
very thing with the potential to makes us the worst – or the very best, kind of
beings.
Savvi was being quite unresponsive so I continued, “Does a dog sit and
think, ‘I am a dog. That’s why I act like a dog.’, or, ‘I like being a dog but
I’m going to act differently!?’” This time with a bit more persuasion in my
voice.
“I guess” Savvi mentioned with his typical loud and dry American accent.
“Or another way of looking at it Savvi,” I continued, “I can act very
civil towards another person while inside I might be plotting to kill them.”
“I suppose…” he ventured, slightly uncertain and unwilling.
I had a bit of a mischievous glint in my eye. (OK, maybe it wasn’t that
obvious!) But I was trying to entice him into the conversation which was a bit
of a heavy topic for any young man. It was an old habit of mine and perhaps
Savvi was used to me ‘pushing’ him along many of these ‘heavy’ topics whenever
we go flying.
“This sense of Self, and the ability to reason about that awareness and
control it, is what separates us from animals. Of course that is my humble
opinion. Did I miss something you think?” I looked at him, kind of forcing him
to answer and take part.
“Makes sense…” He said, while once again I detected an underlying hint
of an unwillingness to commit to the conversation. I mean, who can blame the
man? He was still high from spending time above the clouds.
Pic taken by Savvi
The next day I was sitting at 7500’ cruising above the rain and dismal
weather falling on the Northern point of the island. At that moment, I was
struck by an overwhelming sense of Self. It was magical. I was floating through
a land of cloud-castles, akin to Jack and the bean stork; mysterious and
enchanting, surreal yet certain, weightless yet seated, unencumbered yet
limited. It brought to me a sense of freedom and love and blessings that
becomes hard to put into words. Over and above my reasoning and navigating
skills to safely move through the clouds, I have the ability to be aware of
having this capability. And to top it off, I could recall my conversation with
Savvi in the car the previous day. I suddenly realized that he was being civil
and polite while disliking our conversation.
All too human!
Wish you were here!
:)
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