On Feathers, Forrest, and Eagles

Trains of thought are often strange things to me. Maybe it's just because mine seem to go careening off without a conductor, but I often find them strange. Yesterday, I found myself thinking about Forrest Gump. That's not all that strange in and of itself, as that movie is one that I have seen and quoted the second most in my life. (The Princess Bride, of course, tops that list.) That this train of thought took me to Gump station was probably somewhat appropriate, considering the beatific grin on my face at the time. I reckon it looked something like Forrest did as he stood on the dock with Lieutenant Dan and unnecessarily explained, "That's my boat."

The topic I was musing on was luck vs. fate. Are the things that happen just a matter of chance, or is there some matter of destiny involved? Furthermore, do we exert any real control over these outcomes, or is it just an illusion? That luck vs. fate vs. control thought got me thinking about the feather that leads us to Forrest at the beginning of the movie, travels with him in his "favorite book" for a time, and leaves him at the end. Sure it seemed to be "floatin' about accidental-like on a breeze," but it seemed that maybe there was some underlying design to it all. Of course, like most big questions, I have no idea what the answer is, but I couldn't help noodling on it for a few seconds.

That's not necessarily strange by itself, though. What was strange was what led me there. I was wondering if it was luck or skill -- my exertion of control, if you will -- that I had just experienced. Maybe Forrest had the right answer: "I think maybe it's both. I think both is happening at the same time."

What exactly was it that caused a high-arcing little white ball struck by a piece of metal at the end of a stick to land in a hole 115 yards away? I don't really know, but it was an eagle 2 either way, and it was marvelous.

Happy Father's Day.