Another Road Less Travelled

A few days ago I found myself driving around the area of Banchory, in Royal Deeside. The area , especially on such a day when the sun accentuated the greens of the trees and hills all around, is spectacularly beautiful. I could see how this area must have appealed to Victoria and Albert, being so wild and far away from all the royal protocol of the time.. Because the road had so many twists and turns, I was driving more sedately than usual otherwise I probably would not have had the experience I did.

I was flanked by trees on right and left and was the only vehicle on this rural narrow road.Suddenly, from my left, something came flying out of the wood . My first thought was that it was an eagle as I looked at the powerful wingspan in front of me. But I suppose eagles must be rare , so it must have been a hawk. Whatever, this was a momentous experience . Not only had this beautiful wild creature crossed my path, it was flying in front of me as if guiding me along the way. It continued for several minutes , this royal being, gracing me with its presence before swooping back off to the left to sit in full sight on the upper branches of a tree. I was ecstatic. I truly felt that I had been singled out for a moment ; that I was being given some kind of shamanic message.

I stopped the car immediately, and got out to get my camera from the boot , all the while hoping I wasn’t being too noisy, which I am sure I was. It sat there for a further moment and then flew onto another tree, tantalisingly close but now made invisible by the foliage. There was nothing to be done; it had shown itself to me and had now stepped back from view. I got back into the car and drove off feeling hugely uplifted and touched by my encounter. I had seen eagles in North America and India, but only from a distance. To be given such an up close “guide ” was very different. I had felt a connection between myself and the “eagle” as it unwaveringly flew in a straight course right in front of my car following the course of the road.

As I mentioned in another post , Fire and Ice Collide, I am going through a difficult time but I am recognising the good that is coming out of this apparent impasse. I have to say, going through such challenges makes me even less tolerant of those who espouse Positive Thinking  clichés. Sometimes you just want to say what you are going through; you are not looking for someone to make it all better. I think it takes true empathy and therefore great intuitive timing, for someone else to respond with a few words of meaningful wise help. If people stopped , and let themselves feel their feelings before they spoke, we would probably have fewer words spoken, but there might be a bit more reality felt in the encounter. My “eagle” gave me something very positive. I am not quite through this particular period of challenge yet, but I sure as hell am getting there as truthfully as possible. My road is definitely less travelled but you meet marvellous things along the way.