The View from the Edge
There was once a fledgling hatched among eagles' eggs. No one knows how it happened, least alone himself.
He was raised like everyone else, and when the time came, he teetered on the ledge, like Mama Eagle had demoed, and plummeted with all the other eaglets, happily flapping his wings, catching the up wind. High in the skies he noticed nothing different, but getting closer to the ground, he was unnerved.
Why he had-- agh! no head!!
Just look at that shadow! Look he did in broad daylight. He pondered on it. He had eyes and vision and yet-- it didn't occur to him that he was built different-- he immediately grieved that something was missing. He hunched himself into his shoulders more so.
No one had treated him any different. And till he saw this shadow of himself he had felt no issue. Night fell. On the ledge, he watched critters scurrying far below, black, busy, similar yet different. He inched towards Papa Eagle, to settle his brooding conscious:
"...I am not an Eagle."
"Raptor, you're an Equal."
"What then am I ...really?"
"We see far in the light, that is freedom; we Eagles are Seekers.
...you, Owlet, see far in the dark, that is wisdom. Owls are Seers.
Are you wondering why there is only one of you here?"
"Yes. Surely I am not the only Owl?"
"No, indeed, there are more Owls than Eagles; but, throughout this world, there are far less Seers than Seekers."
11.10.2023
FFF#4: Owl challenge @ChrisSadhill