I have never minded flying solo...
I have never minded going my own way
rather than going with the flow...
I have never minded thinking
differently than those around me...
I have never minded being independent
because having the gift of independence
is the key to being truly free.

Even as a boy I knew that my path
through life would be different
from that of my friends...
as a child, and still now, I was never afraid
to take a leap into the unknown
while those around me stand still and stare
and as I choose to push down on the throttle
and go to where others might not dare.

I always enjoyed the thrill
and the adrenaline rush
of going against conformity...
I always loved running
and being fast on my feet...
I always wanted to push the envelope
and be catapulted to the outer reaches
of time, possibility, and space...
I always wanted to be and I always will be,
whether inside or outside a cockpit,
a test pilot, a rebel, a rocket man,
a daredevil, and a maverick.