On the Image of EAGLES & AMERICA
On the Image of EAGLES & AMERICA
By Kevin Stoda
Last week my pastor at church shared one of those popular power points circulating on the internet.
It was a well-done production about eagles. The life story of eagles is shared in order to discuss the need for change and rebirth—and how this can be a painful process.
The legend under (and above) the photos concerned the lifespan of eagles. The narrator explains that eagles live 70 years—much longer than other birds of prey. The most remarkable thing about the lifespan of eagles is a change that they must voluntarily undergo when they are about 40 to 45 years of age.
By the age of 40 the eagle has becomes less able to compete in the natural environment.
It flies slower, it is weighed down by very many older feathers. It’s beak is too long and too curved to properly and deftly capture its prey. It’s talons are also too long and curled.
At this junction in the eagle’s life, it must take decisions to revamp and transform itself. In the narrated power point presentation, the audience is told: The eagle flies to its mountain nest and begins a 150 day process of painful transformation.
During this five-month period the aging eagle begins to slam its aged beak against the sides of rocks. Over and over again, the eagle painfully continues to slug the boulders with its beak until the edges of the beak tear. Despite the pain and blood, the eagle continues until the entire crooked- and aging beak has fallen off.
Only then can a new beak grow in.
A similar painful process is undertaken with the feathers. The aging eagle plucks out the feathers one-by-one—until they are all gone. Then new feathers grow in quickly.
Also, the giant 40- to 45-year old bird goes after its lengthy talons with the same energy and with great pain. The eagle tears out the talons one-at-a-time, so that new ones can grow in.
After this painful episode comes to an end, the aging bird is transformed into a much faster and active creature than it was only a few months before.
The eagle then goes out and lives another 25 or 30 years and is able to compete with the younger birds of prey once again.
WHAT ARE THE LESSONS?
Naturally such a power point is targeted at those who are considering the need to change how painful it might be to undergo such change. They are also given a clear indication that after the painful transition, a wonderful and empowering transformation will have been made.
Such an eagle-metaphor slide-presentation is aimed at both individuals and at organizations.
Naturally, I share this tale because I think the eagle—as America’s national bird—is the animal that most represents or symbolizes America historically—both at the national and at the international level.
In fact, the power point presentation which I saw actually even showed photos of the lifecycle of the American Bald Eagle.
I believe too often America has avoided the need to transform and has often either taken the paths of least resistance and least-soul-searching after many major crises in my lifetime over these past 45 years.
This tendency in America today to not take the bull-by-the-horns has left America with gaping problems in terms of social, economic, and spiritual development.
For example, our founding fathers (if alive today) would agree that impeaching President Bush and Vice-President Cheney to be the mature but difficult thing to do in 2007.
However, American political kingmakers have shied away from the obvious. Instead, they continually choose the route of least resistance—saying it would be easier to just wait till the next (2008) elections.
This approach is a losing proposition in the long-run of American history because already Congress and the Presidency have the lowest level of respect from the American public since polling first began decades ago.
Similarly, instead of impeaching the president, the current Congress simply approves fo office, men such as the new Attorney General, men who cannot stand unequivocally against the president and state that torture (water boarding, etc.) is wrong!
Once again, by choosing the path of least resistance, America does not mature nor does it set the stage to either renew or transform itself into the younger creature we once knew.
VIETNAM-ERA LESSONS
I came of age in the 1970s when Congress had told the CIA to get out of wars in Africa, and I came of age when a president declared that human rights would be the cornerstone of our foreign policy.
Those were not just promises!
The U.S.A. got out of the Angolan civil war when Congress told it to. Meanwhile, people in countries, like Nicaragua, were supported in overthrowing bad government when it became clear that the U.S. under Jimmy Carter’s policy would promote human rights over other ideologies of the Cold War.
Moreover in the 1970s, the U.S.A. was becoming more and more accepted as an honest broker on the global stage—the Camp David Accords between the Israelis and Egyptians were a reflection of this American stand.
This is the sort of transformation I believe we need now—even if it is painful for some politicians who have voted too often unequivocally and blindly to support the presidents’ wars over the past seven years. (I think of Kansas Senator Pat Roberts for example. However, all across the nation there are Republicans and Democrats who are refusing to fall on their swords—i.e. failing to do what is painful, what is right and what would be beneficial.)
I ask that the transformation begin of America becoming a mature but energetic & youthful, more positive creature once again.
This process may be painful, but think of the benefits and progress that will be awaiting us, our children, and other future generations if we start the agonizing process of cleaning up the aging pile of bad growth in Washington and begin apologizing for our sins and weaknesses.
By Kevin Stoda
Last week my pastor at church shared one of those popular power points circulating on the internet.
It was a well-done production about eagles. The life story of eagles is shared in order to discuss the need for change and rebirth—and how this can be a painful process.
The legend under (and above) the photos concerned the lifespan of eagles. The narrator explains that eagles live 70 years—much longer than other birds of prey. The most remarkable thing about the lifespan of eagles is a change that they must voluntarily undergo when they are about 40 to 45 years of age.
By the age of 40 the eagle has becomes less able to compete in the natural environment.
It flies slower, it is weighed down by very many older feathers. It’s beak is too long and too curved to properly and deftly capture its prey. It’s talons are also too long and curled.
At this junction in the eagle’s life, it must take decisions to revamp and transform itself. In the narrated power point presentation, the audience is told: The eagle flies to its mountain nest and begins a 150 day process of painful transformation.
During this five-month period the aging eagle begins to slam its aged beak against the sides of rocks. Over and over again, the eagle painfully continues to slug the boulders with its beak until the edges of the beak tear. Despite the pain and blood, the eagle continues until the entire crooked- and aging beak has fallen off.
Only then can a new beak grow in.
A similar painful process is undertaken with the feathers. The aging eagle plucks out the feathers one-by-one—until they are all gone. Then new feathers grow in quickly.
Also, the giant 40- to 45-year old bird goes after its lengthy talons with the same energy and with great pain. The eagle tears out the talons one-at-a-time, so that new ones can grow in.
After this painful episode comes to an end, the aging bird is transformed into a much faster and active creature than it was only a few months before.
The eagle then goes out and lives another 25 or 30 years and is able to compete with the younger birds of prey once again.
WHAT ARE THE LESSONS?
Naturally such a power point is targeted at those who are considering the need to change how painful it might be to undergo such change. They are also given a clear indication that after the painful transition, a wonderful and empowering transformation will have been made.
Such an eagle-metaphor slide-presentation is aimed at both individuals and at organizations.
Naturally, I share this tale because I think the eagle—as America’s national bird—is the animal that most represents or symbolizes America historically—both at the national and at the international level.
In fact, the power point presentation which I saw actually even showed photos of the lifecycle of the American Bald Eagle.
I believe too often America has avoided the need to transform and has often either taken the paths of least resistance and least-soul-searching after many major crises in my lifetime over these past 45 years.
This tendency in America today to not take the bull-by-the-horns has left America with gaping problems in terms of social, economic, and spiritual development.
For example, our founding fathers (if alive today) would agree that impeaching President Bush and Vice-President Cheney to be the mature but difficult thing to do in 2007.
However, American political kingmakers have shied away from the obvious. Instead, they continually choose the route of least resistance—saying it would be easier to just wait till the next (2008) elections.
This approach is a losing proposition in the long-run of American history because already Congress and the Presidency have the lowest level of respect from the American public since polling first began decades ago.
Similarly, instead of impeaching the president, the current Congress simply approves fo office, men such as the new Attorney General, men who cannot stand unequivocally against the president and state that torture (water boarding, etc.) is wrong!
Once again, by choosing the path of least resistance, America does not mature nor does it set the stage to either renew or transform itself into the younger creature we once knew.
VIETNAM-ERA LESSONS
I came of age in the 1970s when Congress had told the CIA to get out of wars in Africa, and I came of age when a president declared that human rights would be the cornerstone of our foreign policy.
Those were not just promises!
The U.S.A. got out of the Angolan civil war when Congress told it to. Meanwhile, people in countries, like Nicaragua, were supported in overthrowing bad government when it became clear that the U.S. under Jimmy Carter’s policy would promote human rights over other ideologies of the Cold War.
Moreover in the 1970s, the U.S.A. was becoming more and more accepted as an honest broker on the global stage—the Camp David Accords between the Israelis and Egyptians were a reflection of this American stand.
This is the sort of transformation I believe we need now—even if it is painful for some politicians who have voted too often unequivocally and blindly to support the presidents’ wars over the past seven years. (I think of Kansas Senator Pat Roberts for example. However, all across the nation there are Republicans and Democrats who are refusing to fall on their swords—i.e. failing to do what is painful, what is right and what would be beneficial.)
I ask that the transformation begin of America becoming a mature but energetic & youthful, more positive creature once again.
This process may be painful, but think of the benefits and progress that will be awaiting us, our children, and other future generations if we start the agonizing process of cleaning up the aging pile of bad growth in Washington and begin apologizing for our sins and weaknesses.
Labels: Eagles image imagery America torture change transformation renewal
posted by Kevin Anthony Stoda at 1:54 PM
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