A co-workers car in the parking lot has the vanity plate “FLYIN AMA”. For years, I thought that it stood for “Flying Against Medical Advice”, but during a retreat, the co-worker explained that “AMA” was not an acronym, but the outrigger on an outrigger canoe.
“A skilled crew can balance the [canoe body] so that the ama leaves the water and skims over its surface; this is called “flying the ama”… . Flying the ama significantly reduces the drag of the [canoe body].” Proa
My co-worker explained that “flying the ama” was difficult skill to master, but the results were worth the effort to put the canoe into the delicate balance. I think that “flying the ama” is like a goal, but it is more than a goal. It is learning how to deal with failure and perseverance with the desire to achieve the efficiencies that can come with the accomplishment.
My “flying the ama” skill is muscle-up. It has been slow coming, difficult to master, but the achievement will be worth the work.
