TRAVEL

I love to travel and that is a good thing as I do it a lot for my job. I love the excitement that getting on a plane brings me – even if I have been to that city or place many times before. It is the act of going away and of coming back that never ceases to put me in awe of how far one person can go in an airplane.



However, because I fly a lot, every time I take off or land I think about crashing. Not sure why I do – I am not afraid of flying at all, in fact I rather like it. However, it never fails, every time I am in a plane I think about crashing. With the news lately of the Air France flight that went down in the Atlantic, I have been thinking a lot about those passengers and what they went through. I can picture these passengers on their flight doing all that you do when you get on a plane – getting on, settling in, trying to make sure that you get good arm rest room, getting snacks, beverages, pillows, blankets, choosing what movies to watch, talking with their kids, thinking about their loved ones on the other end when they land or all that they want to do on their latest travel adventure.


When I think about crashing, all I think about is that if we do crash, I want it to be fast so that no one, especially me, suffers. I also think “Did I tell Wilson and Arthur that I love them? Did I leave the iron on? Did I pack my own pants or Wilson’s this time?” I think about these passengers and send a fervent wish to the universe that these passengers did not know what was happening and that their last moments were not filled with panic, confusion, fear and suffering. I hope that they could only enjoy their flight until it was too late and then it was over before they knew what was happening.


But really, the worst is for those loved ones coming to the airport to meet them, holding signs, flowers, gifts and waiting with open hearts and arms only to be told that they were never going to see these friends, family, lovers, loved ones ever again. There is no balm for that kind of pain and suffering as it is a wound that never really heals. So today, I think about all of them and am feeling sad. I will think about them the next time I am sitting on a plane with thoughts of crashing going through my head and know that because of them, I left for my journey making sure Wilson and Arthur know that they are loved and that they love me back.