If you identify as nonchalant. If you pride yourself on being “too cool to care.” If you have outgrown curiosity. Consider this a gentle warning. You DEFINITELY will not enjoy this piece.
I remember driving to Edenvale December 2k24 to see ukhulu with my cousin. She is quite a woman. Wise beyond her years. And kind. Very kind. I found myself staring out the window at airplanes. Thinking to myself. Oh my! These things are huge. They never seem that big when you’re standing in the township. Pointing excitedly at the sky and shouting “Framatshinaaa!” At that distance they look small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. But seeing them up close? If you know me well. You know I act like an influencer on my Whatsapp status. In true Thomasina fashion. That evening I posted. Date idea. Watching airplanes land and take off. Baby. If you’re reading this. Wink wink
Many. Maaany months later. At the age of twenty-nine. I boarded my first flight. Let me tell you something. I made sure I savored every single moment. I made absolutely no effort to act like I had been there before. None. I made it painfully obvious that it was my first flight. Because why did we stop celebrating our firsts? When did excitement become something to be embarrassed about? When did we start pretending that being unimpressed was a personality trait? Why did we stop asking questions when we don’t know? Is that not what the human experience is about?
Oh hunnay. I was taking pictures and videos of everything. The airport. The boarding gate. The wing. The clouds. My face. The clouds again. I am glad I did. Because I can go back and relive the moment. I’m glad I did. Because I get to share it with you.
I remember trying to wrap my head around the fact that I was actually in the air. Think about it chomie. Really think about it. Sitting in this man made thing called an airplane and casually travelling above the clouds? And somehow we have convinced ourselves this is normal. Being thirty thousand feet in the air and watching entire cities shrink into tiny dots? Looking down at mountains. Rivers. Entire landscapes from a perspective most humans throughout history never experienced? Being suspended between heaven and earth? Sitting by the window and being reminded that the world is far bigger and far more beautiful than we know? What?
I was in awe. I still am. At number one. The Wright brothers. I admire the texture of their minds. The creativity. The intelligence. The audacity. The sheer audacity. To casually decide I don’t have wings. But I am going to fly. The stubborn refusal to accept limitations as final. Number two. God. The heavens proclaim His glory. The skies display His craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak. Night after night they make Him known. They speak without a sound or word. Their voice is never heard. Number three. God again. Just because sometimes the only explanation for a beautiful moment is Him. Speaking of beautiful things. That man who so often makes me whisper to God “You smiled at me” somehow made the experience even sweeter. He welcomed me with lilies. Lilies. Baby. If you’re reading this. Thank you!
If anything. I hope this piece gives you permission to embrace your childlike heart. I hope you celebrate your firsts loudly. I hope you still shout “Framatshinaaa!” when an airplane flies overhead. I hope you give yourself time to admire all the beauty of creation around you. I hope you continue to be fascinated by things other people have stopped noticing. I hope you notice flowers growing through cracks in the pavement. I hope you never become too sophisticated for wonder. I hope you catch both flights and feelings. I hope you continue to see God’s fingerprints everywhere. Because they are. Everywhere.