I have not always been afraid to fly. I think it started when I was a Freshman in college. I would fly home for the holidays and extreme anxiety and terror would come over me everytime I would get dropped off at the airport. Everytime the plane starts backing away from the terminal I think "I can do this, it's gonna be OK." Then the plane starts its run down the tarmac and I start freaking out. Hands start sweating, breathing gets very difficult and I think I am going to die. I best relate it to the movie French Kiss whenMeg Ryan is going to "Anyone Can Fly" School. "We're going down! We're gong down!" She unbuckles her seatbelt and actually busts out of the plane. (mock flight ofcourse) That is all I can think of when the plane gets lifted off the ground. "WE ARE GOING DOWN!" I want to get off the plane! I listen to all the sounds of the engine and wonder "Is that normal? Are we having technical difficulties?" I have met some nice and unusual people on airplanes from this fear that I have. I am sure strangers might freak out when they see a full grown woman breathing like she is in labor and jumping up everytime we hit a bump, so I try to warn people before we even take off. "I am extremely afraid to fly and am a little nervous right now." Mostly people are empathetic and are very nice. I have grabbed strangers arms, crotches, legs, you name it.....It is quite embaressing. Then my fear was multiplied a zillion times after 9/11 happended. I wouldn't fly at all for a long time.
My fear of flying has taken on a new dimension. There is the best Post Office only a few miles from our house. I like to go there because there are never any lines and it is a brand new Post office. But it happens to be on the outskirts of a small airport. As I was driving to the Post Office the other day, I was watching the planes take off. Now it seems my fear of flying has turned into an all encompassing fear of airplanes. I would watch as the plane lifted off the ground and my first thought was that it was going to explode. No, it was going to nose dive. No, it was going to not quite make it off the ground and go skidding across the runway. No, a small fire was going to break out, but no one would notice until they were 36,000 feet above. What is wrong with me!?!?! I can't ride them peacefully, and apparently I can't watch them either.
Did I mention I have to get on a plane exactly a week from today? "It's gonna be OK. I can do this."
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Flying
Posted by Emily at 1:42 PM
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
My sentiments exactly. That's why living in AZ was so traumatic for me. That big open sky, and all those planes in the air. 10 or 15 at a time. I was convinced that I would witness one or two or all of them plunge out of the sky at any given moment.
BUT your flight next week will be smooth and easy, and I'll be waiting at the other end!
Oh yeah, you have trauma. There is medication available! Talk to your doctor. Or come to me!
LOL One word for you Xanax! It has helped my Mom with her fear of flying for years! Although don't know if you can take it while preggo. Hope you have a good flight, and hey the trip is usually worth it right?!
I didnt know you had such a fear of flying. You will be ok and you will have Quinn to keep you company on the flight. Ill be thinking about ya! See ya tomorrow night! Love ya
I am OK with flying now (because I don't have time to think about my fear with 3 gremlins crawling on me).
When I was younger, DJ tried to assuage my fears by explaining the physics of it to me (I was in high school). It terrified me more. We are kept up in a huge bulk of metal by a mysterious force called "lift"? I was hoping there were magic ropes or something.
Post a Comment