August 01, 2010 11:14 AM UTC

An uplifting message about bird-flight

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• by: NeonNurse

(Something to think about while we wish Aug 11th would just get here already.)

The physiology of bird-flight makes an interesting analogy for our political process.

The whole thing starts with a specialized body part right in the center of the bird–the wishbone. Really. Without that light and flexible fulcrum, flight would not be possible.

The center is also where the strongest muscles are. They provide the power for flight.  Got to have the center!

Lighter muscles in the right and left wings keep the feathers aligned.  If the feathers don’t all go in the same direction and fit snugly together, they can’t create lift. So in the main parts of each wing, cohesiveness and cooperation are key.

Feathers out toward the edge are more flexible than the ones in the main part of the wing. They react to the rapid and frequent changes in the air so as to keep the bird moving smoothly on its course. The edge might be more radical in its action, but when the bird needs a quick response and perhaps a change in direction, that’s where it starts.

And of course out on the far tips of both the left and right wings is where you find the loon feathers.

But hey, they’re part of the steering process too. (Lucky for the bird those feathers can’t manage the flight process all by themselves!)

So when you start to despair, remember: it takes all the parts working together to let the eagle fly.