100 years - a blink of the eye...

2052

Who would have thought I would live to see it. Today, on September 11- I am 100 years old...

What an amazing ride it has been.

Oh yes, I am sure you want to know how I reached this old age (well comparatively
old) for that I could point you to another post but I will say this, have moderation in all things including your vices, Probiotic yogurt is good, and finally stop sitting – I credit my treadmill desk as the single best thing for my health.

Oh now where was I…yes, Who would have believed that back in 2010, my radical ideas of Airships for scientific research, disaster relief, and medical response would lead me to a life as a sky gypsy. (chuckle) yes its quite the romantic name we gave ourselves but in truth it is accurate. The first time I stood on the observation deck, My breath tight in my chest because I forgot to breathe. I was reborn when I saw us fly though the clouds into the dawn. At that moment, I knew I would most likely never step foot on earth again.

And I have not done so, oh well not much actually- maybe a half dozen times mostly for maintenance reasons. That simple act, of rediscovering the gliding form of air travel led me to become one of the founding members of the tribes of the air. Oh and what started off as a mission turned into a lifetime of discovery. The air itself is an ecosystem, clouds, Storms, microbes in the water droplets, at the lower altitudes the birds that fly …my god whoever knew what was here in the air back then, none of us really …you see, back then you only stayed up for a quick flight or if you where a pilot you where moving so quick
you never got a chance to just sit back and observe what was happening in the sky.

Now, I can tell you how to live safely aboard an airship, how to tie several together to create a floating city, how to fly them in formations so you can seed the clouds at the optimum angle for the rainmaking,
or how to dip the catch scoops just right to collect the dew and water for our on board cisterns, or how to run across the skin of the airship without a: killing yourself or B: hurting the ship. All of these things are in my archives and while they are skills, it is the tradition we, the tribes of the air have that you must learn.

We all prepare our meals together, everyone is a cook when the time permits and this sharing of the act of preparing, cooking and eating and cleaning binds us powerfully to one another. The nature of the ship is that you learn collaboration quickly or you leave the sky. Individuals here rise to popularity more for their deeds then words. We took a clue from the Amish and instituted a tradition that our Kids can leave for the ground for 2 years when they reach 17. In addition, they can stay for additional time if they are attending training or cla**** at Uni through vacations and summers are spent back on board to help keep their skills
sharp. Our down time is precious to us and privacy even more so, so if we seem taciturn it is not due to anger or insult but through a desire to maximize our down time.

Finaly, I pass this on to you; we love the sky but never more than the wh*** of Gaia. From our vantage point, we see what happens from a perspective that no group of humans ever had, before us we where always looking up, now we share with the world our perspective of what looking down can bring.

Hence our program to foster and train you students for a year on our ship, so that when you return to your cities, your ships, and you space colony’s you take with you a perspective few in the past ever had, but
now the children of the future will all share.

Now, off with you I need to get this rickety old robotic carriage to the shop for maintenance.

(Hope you enjoy the tale)

Namaste

KDV