Kites and forever winds — What is the point of our life's journey?
If life's destination is a state of being,
then our compass should not be guided by the points along our journey
but the point of our journey.
— OKJ
The above quote is what I constantly repeated to myself as I grappled with the impending end of a hectic three months. It was meaningful through grey hair-inducing. It was what I had asked for - and in this extended period of uncertainty — it is a blessing that many others increasingly wish for.
But while I had seemingly achieved my targets for this year, I am left wondering what is next in my journey? I have had a habit of charting my path years in advance. Not to follow it exactly, but to prepare for the twist and turns that life guarantees.
When I started this habit in Secondary 4 some 10 years ago, it was easy. There were fewer variations and much more information on the various factors impacting my life's trajectory. But now, the possibilities are as open as the sky. And while I am not afraid of flying, I am afraid of falling.
Thus, my first thoughts gravitate towards sustainability. Every successful year could be viewed as a fluke. There were hardly any patterns to each — and the chain of events that led to my independent works and paid commissioned work could not be predicted. They became opportunities simply because of how I vaguely prepared for them.
These opportunities always came as a surprise — either from new people I have yet to meet or collaborators who gained new winds. And like a kite, I am lifted by them. In my own capacity, I have chartered how I react to such winds. And they have taken me to heights I had only dared to dream of.
But while I experienced these uplifts in all its excitement and anxiety-inducing moments, I am well aware of a fundamental truth — kites do not fly without wind.
I do not produce documentaries as a hobby. It is a business, and a responsibility of mine is to find wind or generate it should there not be enough. But how such winds are manifested is a topic that can engulf the whole of LinkedIn and its intriguing mix of case studies.
I flew a kite last week, an experience I never had for well over a decade. It was an activity that I wanted to experience for myself once more after I had used it as a visual analogy for one of my documentary subjects in an upcoming series.
He had found joy in seeing his kite fly — so much so that once the rope had reached its limit, he would just sit there and look at the kite as it enjoyed the windy realm above.
Perhaps once you get to a high enough altitude, there will be forever winds, for the world continues to spin. Maybe I can find solace in that observation as I continue to be busy on the ground, running and pulling, trying my best to get my 'kite' as high as I can.
The concern for the lack of wind is real — but the fear of it is self-induced. And my reaction to any dips in my kite should never be to panic, but to guide it with intention with the string that links it to me. here are no fixed points en route to the plane of forever winds — just a story of luck and determination.
As I continued to fly my kite that week at West Coast Park, I was eager to see it go higher. How small it became from my field of view was mesmerising, so much so that I did not notice that I ran out of string until the kite tugged me just that little bit.
I'll probably revisit this analogy one day when I gain more experience. The fact that this simple activity was comforting for me as I confront the realities of adulting tells me that there is more to learn from this.
Until next time...
