Food for Thought: Living Fully

In the early 1970s I belonged to a discussion group on the campus of the University of Northern IA. One of the topics we discussed was a popular book at the time, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, by Richard Bach. It is the story of a sea gull that was rejected by his flock, but he soared to unbelievable heights through self-discipline and practice. The meaning of the book made for good discussing because it was open to many different interpretations. The existentialists among us saw a call to the freedom to, “just be ourselves” –– a popular philosophy at the time. Others thought it had self-improvement allusions and called us to do better than our best––to reach our highest aspirations through “self-actualization”. Still others saw religious implications in that by doing what we were “meant to do” we would reap great spiritual blessings.

In 2013 the author published a new version of the book in which he added a new section that was inspired by a close encounter with death from a near-fatal plane crash. It had inspired him to finish the section, which he had started during the first version of the book. The more-recent experience had caused him to realize how precious life is and how we need to make the most of every moment of it. (See Ephesians 5:16.)

Dave Sanderson was a part of the "Miracle on the Hudson" when he survived the most famous water landing in aviation history. He wasn't originally booked on US Airways Flight 1549, but because he finished his business in New York City ahead of schedule, he took the earlier flight so that he could get home to his wife and four children. He vividly recalls Captain Sully Sullenberger's brief remark after both engines failed and the plane glided toward the Hudson River: "This is your captain: Brace for impact." He had an end-of-life experience as everything moved in slow motion while he prayed, "to get things in order." He said, "That last minute before we crashed into the river was like the movie of my life passing by me." Amazingly, all 155 people onboard survived. The 10th anniversary, January 15, 2019, afforded a fresh look at how it changed people like Sanderson. He credits this experience for steering him down a new, more-worthy path. Rather than suffering from PTSD, Sanderson says he's just like one magazine described him: "a case study for post-traumatic growth syndrome." Such incidents can be a catalyst for reaching greater awareness. USA Today, 1/16/19, p.3A