Aerodynamic engineers can make a good argument that the bumblebee cannot fly because its not designed to fly. Its wings are too short and its body is too heavy and wide. But, the bumblebee ignored this argument and does fly. And, because it does fly, the bumblebee has become an important symbol for those who have been told they could not do it and did it anyway.

Dr. J. Rodney Short is Professor Emeritus at Texas Womans University in Denton, Texas. He has spent much of his professional career trying to figure out why some people try and fly high, while others dont even try to fly, and seem to...