Dis-re-orientation

Taking a flight on a rainy and cloudy day can be challenging. Turbulence is expected, and for some, like me, the imagination can run wild with worst-case scenarios as the flight navigates through clouds and turbulence, creating a disorienting experience. However, a skilled pilot knows how to fly amid all conditions.

Most of the time, pilots try to take the plane above the clouds. With instrumental flying, they don't need to see the earth to fly; they only need to orient themselves towards the destination.

As a passenger without access to the instruments, it becomes a journey of faith, trusting in the pilots' abilities and technology to guide me towards the destination. Flying above the clouds offers a beautiful sight of non-turbulent white clouds below.

Yet, the challenge arises when the plane needs to descend and fly through the clouds to reach the destination. I often wonder how the pilots manage to fly with clouds clouding their sight and experiencing disorienting turbulence. I prefer to get out of this disorienting season as soon as possible, as it evokes fear and disturbance in my inner being. But I recognize that this season is necessary to reach the destination.

Eventually, there comes a short time before reaching the destination when the plane descends through the clouds, and the earth becomes clearly visible. In this moment, there's a sense of reorientation and clarity, as I know I'm getting closer to my destination. Buildings and familiar sights become visible, providing a sense of reassurance after a season of disorientation.

 

Unlike us passengers, the pilots were never disoriented or in need of reorientation. They were always oriented towards the destination, with all systems set up to take the flight home.

This picture of flying mirrors life itself. Sometimes I feel oriented, other times disoriented, and occasionally reoriented. I prefer to remain above or below the clouds most of the time, but that's not always possible. Clouds and turbulence can disorient me, but the assurance I have is that I have a pilot, who is always oriented towards taking me home.