Are You a Bird or a Kite?
About a year ago, I was flying my kite on the beach and I realized something: a kite can’t get very high without a string tying it to the ground. Without that anchor, it just flops around and doesn’t really go anywhere. The very thing that appears to be tying it down is what enables it to fly.
And then I wondered if this was a metaphor for my life. Maybe by refusing to put down roots anywhere, I was just flopping about aimlessly and not achieving any altitude.
But then I saw a bird and I thought “Nah, screw that. Maybe that’s true for other people, but not me. I’m a bird. I can fly freely without anything tying me down”.
But after the last year of bouncing around – of spending my time and energy thinking about where I’m going to live next instead of focusing on my songwriting, of moving every few months, of pursuing short-term relationships instead of building meaningful connections with people I actually care about – I realized something: even birds have nests. They’re free to go anywhere in the world, but they still have a place to come home to.
So, I’ve decided to stop being a flopping kite and put down a nest somewhere. *
And that’s why I’m going to make Seattle my home base for a while. I’ve always loved this city, and most of my family lives in the Northwest, so I’ll be able to see them more often. I’m still going to travel and tour the world eventually, but I’m going to do it in an organized, focused way, not by vagabonding and “winging it” and moving every couple of months. Moving is the pits. For now, I’m focusing on building a following here in Seattle. Think globally, act locally, as they say.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and may you find the anchors that enable you to soar as high as you want.
I love you guys.
* P.S. No, I’m not planning on having kids any time soon. Let’s not take the metaphor THAT far.