Rejoice That You Had It

Wednesday, July 20, 1904 may have been a typical day in Dayton, Ohio, but for a family living on Hawthorn Street, it wasn’t.  That day they welcomed a baby to the family. Neighbors came to call. They brought food items for the family, and one couple brought a toy for the baby. That toy would have a legacy all its own.

The toy was a small wooden airplane offered by Milton and Susan. It was a thoughtful gift, but it would be a few years before he would really come to appreciate it. Milton and Susan’s sons enjoyed working with wood, and they had crafted this little airplane a few years earlier. 

When he was old enough to know what it was, that wooden plane captivated  its young owner.  He’d run with it, pretending it could fly. He hung it from a light on the ceiling of his room with a small piece of fishing leader, so anytime a breeze blew in through his window, it would “fly.” 

During his senior year of high school, he began hanging out at a local airfield. His fascination with airplanes was growing. When he graduated the owner offered him a job.  He cut grass, washed windows, and when planes landed, he cleaned the windshields, checked tire pressure, then he’d stand and marvel at the plane. From time to time, the airfield hosted air shows. He loved the chance to see so many planes.

After an airshow in 1926, a stunt pilot offered to take him up. He had flown before, but always strictly as a passenger.  This plane was different; it was a trainer, so it had duel  controls; you could fly it from either seat.  Once the pilot had the plane in the air and leveled off, he hollered, “Take the controls kid, she’s all yours.”

Well, that was a defining moment. He not only wanted to fly; now he absolutely had to. That same year he joined the newly formed US Army Air Corps, and within 18 months he was a pilot. He decided to make it a career. By the late 1930’s, he was a pilot trainer.  When WWII broke out, he became a combat pilot in the Pacific Theater.  By the end of the war, he was a colonel, and in 1946 he retired and became a commercial pilot. 

In January of 1969, after 23 happy years in the air, he was notified by the airlines that his retirement would be effective July 20th of that year at 11:59 PM EDT. He knew it was coming, and he seemed to be comfortable with it. That kind of surprised his family.  They were concerned about how this guy who loved to fly would accept retirement.

He put the small wooden plane that his neighbors had given him the day he was born in his flight bag for his final flight. His final flight would be from Chicago to Dayton. The ground crew at Dayton would offer a water canon salute that retiring pilots always receive.  On his final approach, two massive fire truck equipped with water cannons, one on either side of the plane would create an arch under which he would taxi up to the terminal for his final approach.

Earlier that day, Apollo 11 had landed. He would be home to see Neil Armstrong’s first step on the moon.  His entire family was there for his 65th birthday party. He seemed happy and totally at peace.  At 10:56 EDT, just three minutes before his retirement would be official, Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon.

Just then his youngest granddaughter came running into the room holding his small wooden airplane over her head just like he had done so many years before.  She ran to him, and jumped up on his lap. Looking at her with a giant smile he said, “I’m done with that; I’d like it to be yours, and I hope it brings you as much happiness as it’s brought me.”

Talking somewhat philosophically, he spoke directly to his grandchildren. “Find something you really like to do, then do all you can to make it your career or profession.  If you can, you’ll never really work a day in your life. And when you’re done, you’ll feel no regrets. You’ll be thankful for what you had, you’ll be happy that you had it as long as you did, and you’ll be free to move on in life!”

That pilot’s advice is simple. When something grand ends, rejoice that you had it as long as you did, then start looking for what comes next in life!

BTW: Milton and Susan were Mr. & Mrs. Wright.  And you guessed it, their boys were Orville and Wilbur!