A love song, "fields of gold"...and field of dreams.

"In the days still left
We'll walk in fields of gold
We'll walk in fields of gold"
- Sting

Morning comes early in Scotland...the sun rose at 0426. It was a dazzling and warm sun, tickled to be free of the overcast that has softened its brilliance these past days. As if in sheer, wonder, celebration, and delight, the canola fields, the broom, the gorse, the dandelions, and the buttercups smiled radiantly back into the skies, with their own unique shades of yellow and gold.

A couple of hours later, and (almost) fully awake, we were in the midst of the fields and rolling hills of Fife. The morning run is a long-standing routine. It has always been much more than simply "exercise". It offers a necessary and promised connection to our favourite place...outside. It is a "moving meditation". It centres the spirit, and prepares the heart and soul for the day. Whatever the weather, observations taken along the way are a reminder of the beauty and diversity of this planet. These observations make for a convincing argument that, at this point in human history, we know of no other sphere more exquisite...anywhere in the universe.

The bright golden and lush green fields are right out the back door...literally. There's winter and spring wheat, canola, barley, carrots, potatoes, maize, oats, and a variety of soft fruit.

The fields of gold are simply stunning. They make me think of the warm, emotive song by the same name, sung by Sting and Celtic Woman, and many others. It's a love song, I'm sure of it. But it's also about promises broken, to ourselves or to others, and falling short of where we want to be in life...walking in those marvellous "fields of gold".



Passion and desire are necessary when we want to see our dreams and aspirations through to fruition. But that same passion and desire can be dashed when we doubt our abilities. So often, it's a mindset. It's falling prey to doubting that our goals are within our reach. When we move our dreams and desires forward, into the "realm of possibility", however, the requisite passion and energy usually follows. In fact, sometimes it rushes, headlong, to catch up!

The Wright brothers must have felt like throwing their hands up in despair..there were so, SO many variables to get right in order for the imagined heavier-than-air machine to be able to fly! But these two bicycle manufacturers believed, with all of their hearts, that what they imagined was within the realm of possibility. And with their confident vision, their passion and desire continued to burn and carried them to their invention of three-axis control (managing the pitch, yaw, and roll of their primitive flying machine)......and success at Kitty Hawk in 1903. The flight was only 12 seconds and 120 feet - but it was a magnificent "field of gold."

There are so many "fields of gold" I aspire to "walk in"...such as playing the simple recorder (which would vastly require improving upon the current "squeaks") and maybe one day, a Native American flute. I dream of "bagging" more than the current grand total of just five Munros (Scottish hills over 3000' - there are 282!). I aspire to sea kayaking in new and dramatic places, off Vancouver Island and here in Scotland. I yearn to explore and discover...the list is long. And sometimes, admittedly, the passion and desire risk getting doused and extinguished - in the face of "realities".

BUT, it can just take a renewed glimpse of what is possible, and sometimes the encouragement of someone who believes in us...and the passion and desire can re-ignite into a burning flame.

We can never give up on our dreams...and we must always encourage others to continue to pursue their own "fields of gold". This is especially important with children...and the child within us all. ;)