takami wo mezashite!
narifuri kamawazu!
shinjiru ga mama ni!

aim for the top!
don't worry about appearances!
do what you believe in!

I reach out. As far as my arms will let me.
There is nothing here. Just me. Here I find serenity.

The wind whips through my hair... Between my fingers... Ruffles my
feathers... It blows against my face. So fast, so hard... Almost
brings a tear to my eye... Almost

The warmth of the sun dances across the bridge of my nose onto my
cheeks. They become rosy with delight. Bringing back sweet memories
of my childhood.

Life was so easy then. So innocent & new. I had not a care in the
world. No reservations... No worries... More importantly... No Fear!

Alas... Those days are far too gone. And once again, I find myself
back in this place. I've been here before.

Much too young when I first took flight. Yet still I soar. All
my life... As far back as I can remember. I have been flying.. A
constant search for something true. Something real.

I've desperately tried so hard to fly high. As high as I can. Up.
Through the storm clouds. Higher. Out of sight of all my enemies. So
many predators...

But then... after too long... I start to descend. Just enough to
get a closer look. That's when I usually let my curiosity get the
best of me. Not this time!

I have fallen hard from this place before. I've been shot down,
captured, caged, & tortured. All for someone else's amusement.

Yet somehow... Each time... I have still been able to find my way
back to freedom.

Freedom. We long for it. Freedom. We fight so hard for it. We die
for this beauty we call freedom.

I have licked my wounds. I am strong now. Stronger than ever
before. I am wise now. Wiser than ever before.

I only take with me that which I need. My heart, my soul, my
knowledge, ... my pride.

I go where the wind blows. Makes no difference to me. However,
this time it feels quite different than ever before.

The air is much thicker. Harder to breathe. I am safe, but oddly
enough, it's not the same serenity as I had always found.

It makes me wonder... Why do I fly anyway? Is it truly for
freedom? Or is it simply out of fear? And whilst I soar... Am I really
just missing out on it all?

In this constant battle within myself. Searching for a flicker of
light in this vast darkness... An angel amongst the demons.

If nothing else. I've realized one real thing. Life is beautiful!
Its meant to be embraced & truly lived! To the fullest!

I cant do that way up here. I must fight hard... Love harder...
Live life through childlike eyes. No Fear! Never settling for anything
less than what I deserve.

Its so hard though. In reality I am petrified! And... I'm safe
here. The view is amazing. But does that even matter when I'm the only
one to see it.

Besides... I am so tired of flying. My wings ache... No one truly
knows how I long to land. I cant.. No! I won't let them... But its all
I've ever really wanted.

This time I need to be smart. I will be smart! This time I won't
just slip and fall. This time... I, and I alone, chose when I land.
Where I land.

This time... I will not land in a trap. Only to be put on display
as if I were a trophy piece.

I will not land in quicksand! Where I might sink into the pits of
broken promises.

Not even on a rock! As they are far to cold, hard, and rigid.

This time when I land, it will be on solid ground. On the plush
grass where I can feel it all.. One foot at a time. In my own personal
heaven.

To feel the earth between my toes... To tuck these wings away...
Once and for all... To be free... To be me...

That my friend would be true freedom... True happiness... Isn't
that in fact, all any of us want.


By Mickie James

~Before the MySpace and Bebo frenzy.
~Before the Internet & texting.
~Before mp3"s & iPods.
~Before Paris Hilton.
~Before PlayStation2 or X-BOX.
~Before the 5 hours of homework you put off every night.
~Even before neopets.

REMEMBER BACK THEN...
~When light up sneakers were COOL.
~When you rented videos, not DVDs.
~When we recorded stuff on VCRs and taped songs off the radio on the weekend.
~When parties meant party hats, party poppers, pass the parcel, blowing out candles on your birthday cake and musical statues.
~You only got to sleep when you had your blankie or favourite toy in bed with you.
~The best jewelery was plastic.
~When you would do rolley polleys all over the field at playtime.
~When you slid down the stairs in your sleeping bag over and over again even when your bum got sore.
~Jellies were the best shoes in the world!
~When Crash Bandicoot was the best game.
~When wearing summer dresses, shorts and sandles to school was so exciting.
~When you woke up every morning with a big smile on your face happy to be in this world.
~When you had NO cares in the world.
~When the playtimes during summer seemed to last for ages.
~Way back, when you played skipping.
~When spice girls were THE BEST.
~Hide-n-Seek after school till it got dark.
~Hopskotch.
~Hula Hoops.
~Telling scary stories at sleepovers.
~Midnight feasts when you had to turn off all the lights and get the torches out at 9pm at night.
~The annoying Nano Pets & Furbies.
~Running through the sprinklers.
~Remember when santa, the tooth fairy and the easter bunny were all so REAL!!
~The first TAMAGOCHI"s and Yo-Yo"s...
~Pokemon! Need I say more!?!?!
~Crying when Mufasa died in the Lion King.
~Happy Meals where you chose a Barbie or a Hot Wheels car.
~Getting the privilege to sit in the front seat of the car.
~Booster seats!
~AND those little Milk cartoons, with a straw.
~Watching Saturday Morning Cartoons in your PJ's still wrapped up in your duvet.
~Remember the Teletubbies?
~The magic school bus.
~Pinky and the brain.
~The Power Rangers
~Wearing your new shoes on the first day of school.
~Getting a certificate in assembly, then when you rang up your grandparents to tell them you couldn't say the word certificate.
~Class trips to the zoo.
~LEGO!
~Kids n Action!!
~Times tables.
~When Christmas was the most exciting time of year.
~When $2 seemed like a million.
~When you begged to go to McDonalds for breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday.
~When you had all the pokemon cards
~Go back to the time when decisions were made by going "eeny-meeny-miney-moe"
~Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming "do over!" and "make up
make up never ever break up"
~Money issues were handled by whoever was banker in "Monopoly".
~It wasn"t odd to have two or three "best" friends.
~When you looked up to your parents and always clinged to them.
~Being old referred to anyone over 20.
~Scrapes & bruises were kissed & made better.
~It was a big deal to finally be tall enough to ride the "big
people" rides at Rainbows End.
~When "sticks and stones may break your bones but words will never hurt you" was soooooo true.
~When playing Nintendo was the hardest thing ever.
~When Ninja Turtles ruled the world.
~When lollies from the dairy was the highlight of your day.
~Hometime was the best part of the day.
~When the only thing you cried over was your mum being late to pick
you up.
~Back in the day when the "S" word was something you never EVER talked about, when it was a huge forbidden mystery.
~When someone said a naughty word everyone said "Oohh nah nah nanah nah..im telling the teacher on you!"
~When friendships were as complicated as who"s house to sleep over.
~When shaving cream was just meant for play.
~Dress ups.
~Picking up rubbish just for a lolly.
~Smearing lipstick all over you face then getting caught.
~Remember when valentines day meant cards for all.
~Secret Santas were never figured out and was the funne