The power of presence

There exists an undeniable difference between witnessing something remotely and experiencing it in person.   

In a world of live streams, high-definition photos, and immersive virtual experiences, it’s easy to believe that seeing something through a screen is just as good as being there. I know that I’ve been guilty of such beliefs, and each time I experience something in person, I am reminded of the power of presence.   

I recently took a trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina with my family. A short, end of summer expedition before another school year kicks off. We stayed in the town of Kitty Hawk. If that name rings a bell, it’s where the Wright Brothers first took flight on a cold and windy day over 120 years ago, December 17, 1903. 

North Carolinian’s have a license plate with the slogan “First in Flight.” I always assumed the Wright Brothers were from North Carolina, but learned they were from Ohio, and sought the wind, sand, and isolation of the Outer Banks to conduct their test flights.

The Wright Brothers National Memorial, in Kill Devil Hills, was built on the sand dunes that the brothers used for soft landings when working to perfect their glider and take that eventual first controlled flight. 

Standing in the very spot where they took off and flew gave me chills. I’ve seen the famous photograph before, the one with Orville laying on his stomach, sandwiched between two wings, and Wilber standing alongside, but I never experienced chills. I’ve stood in hundreds of grassy fields in my lifetime and thought nothing of it before, so why do things feel so different when we witness historical places in person?

I’m not sure what phenomenon causes this feeling. Not to sound overly new-agey, but perhaps it’s the energy held by the land, and the memory of those whose work brought it to life.

Reading through the museum displays and listening to the historians share the story of the Wright Brothers causes one’s mind to quickly flood with imagery and wonder. All the little steps along the way, the joyous successes, and the soul crushing setbacks. You wonder what the world would be like today if they hadn’t pushed forward and preserved in their endeavors. They had the opportunity to give up after each crash and failed flight, but instead made their repairs, altering calculations and trying again. 

When you view a historical place in person, all your senses are engaged. You don’t just see — you hear the sounds, feel the air, and notice little details that cameras can’t fully capture. Your perception sharpens and becomes hyper-aware. You aren’t just observing history; you’re sharing space with it.

Even if you’ve never been on an airplane, your life has been affected by the work of the Wright Brothers and those who assisted them along the way. Aviation changed the world, many times for good, and other times for bad. 

Perhaps that’s the reason seeing historic sights — buildings, battlefields, monuments, or documents — can give us chills and create such a sense of wonderment. History shapes the world we experience on a daily basis, and history affects us all.

Technology continues to bring the world to our fingertips. But no matter how advanced it gets, it can’t replace the power of physical presence. Being there in person adds a dimension to life that can’t be downloaded or streamed.

Whenever you have the chance to go and see something for yourself — take it. Sometimes, the only way to truly understand something is to stand in its presence, see it with your own eyes, and feel it deeply within your bones.