The Freedom of Flight

Photo by Rubin Ramon of Mexico

2009 Costco photo contest winner

Taken at the Wameru Zoo in Queretaro, Mexico

"It captures a complicated mix of feelings of the chimpanzee about being captive, like anger, sadness, desperation and impotence," Ramon says. "I also believe that the bars match very well with this idea."

What a powerful picture! I came home from work and found a Costco magazine in the mail box with this photo inside. It really grabbed my attention because it was exactly how I was feeling today sitting there in my cubicle. I'm a construction estimator, bean counting more or less. The cubicle feels like my very own jail cell. The photo portrays how I was feeling sitting there thinking about flying helicopters. I need the freedom of flight or if I go too long without flying I get depressed, even though it scares the shit out of me sometimes, we call that pucker factor. It's what I thrive on, it’s what I think about all the time, and it's what makes me feel alive. The cubicle feels more and more like a coffin. It's time for a change!

UPDATE: I did resign from my government job with the Corps of Engineers on the 26th of March 2010 to pursue my passion for helicopter flying more vigorously. Ahhh... the office view is excellent now!