Fly like an Eagle

I want to fly like an eagle

To the sea

Fly like an eagle

Let my spirit carry me

I want to fly like an eagle

Till I’m free

Fly through the revolution

-Steve Miller Band

From the dawn of man, one of his greatest desires has been to fly. To take to the skies and soar, free-wheeling with the birds in an aerial adventure. Man has gone to great lengths to achieve this dream. It is why we built planes and even roller coasters in a futile attempt to reach the heavens. Hundreds, if not thousands, of artistic works have been created dealing with flying. But why is this so? Why is flight such an enchantress for us? What is it about the azure sky that tempts us so? To answer this, one has to realize what it means to fly. To truly take wing is to be free. It is to shed the chains and burdens of the world and, even for just a moment, to rise up, free. It is only when we are unbound from our limitations and venture beyond them that we can truly define our lives and our existence.

In the myth of Icarus, this dream of mankind is literal. Icarus and his father, Daedalus, are imprisoned on an island. In order to escape, Daedalus, an inventor, crafts wings for the two to wear. Girded with these wings, Icarus