The Fear of Flying


The Fear of Flying
            To starters, flying in an airplane is filled with mixture of anxiety and fear; fear that something may go amiss and then the worst happen. The main reason is because many people have at one time or the other heard horrifying airplanes crashes where very few people survive. When you view news from time to time you will see or hear airplanes crashes that leave you with nightmares that linger in the memory for a long time. Even the brave have that chill down their spines on seeing the images of these crashes which tom many elicit the fear of flying.
            My first time to fly in an airplane, I was very tense that my nerves were on the verge of elastic breaking point. When my beloved mother informed my sister and I that we were taking our vacation trip to Aruba, I began having butterflies in my stomach. Besides the memories of a passenger plane which had killed all the one hundred and fifty passengers in Philippines were still fresh in our minds. But when you have a mom like mine it is the best thing that can happen to you. She is so reassuring and convincing that after telling her your problems, she has answer to all your questions and comforting words which erases all the doubts within you. My friends who interacted with my mom while visiting me from time and again said how wonderful my mom was in giving advices that they would never mind having her as their counselor. Anyway that is just a tip of the iceberg regarding my mom innate life skills.
            When I told my mom about my fear of flying after she had informed us about our flying to Aruba for our vacation, she regarded me with that reassuring look which said ‘don’t worry my lovely baby, mummy is going to be with you and everything little gonna be alright’. My mom proceeded to narrate to me how she had the same fright about flying which went away with time. About the airplanes crashes which occurred year in year out, her answer was quite simple; that God is in charge of our lives and the question on where and how we die was His big secret never at all to be revealed to us. After this motherly love lecture, she hugged me passionately, caressing out of my fears about flying. I was even excited about the trip and so was my sister who has an ‘I don’t care attitude’. She in her attitudes seemed to tell me ‘big sis grow up from your fears and face your odds’. The preparation for trip went without a hitch and so was the flight to Aruba. I in fact enjoyed it for apart from the take-off and the landing which was rough rocking us off our seats. The flight was smooth not to mention the cooperative and reassuring air hostesses who went out of their comfort to ensure all our travel needs were satisfied to the fullest. Everything in my first flight went on well that I gained my confidence to have my composure when flying although that fear remained a sub-conscious aspect which never went totally away.
            The fear of flying came back in after we had a nice vacation in Aruba although I brushed it aside steeling my ego with mom’s precious advice to leave everything in God. It was in 2005 when we were coming back from Aruba when the Jumbo plane began experiencing major turbulence halfway our flight. Everything had been quite well after take off up to the time it was addressed over the loud speakers to unfasten our belts and enjoy our rides. I was taking a nap after I had sipped my juice when suddenly the plane reacted with a violent jerk like a car that had hit unseen bump. Immediately the lights went off as if they had received a cue from the state of things. I instinctively held at the seat before me when somebody screamed hysterically. Oxygen masks came down to our rescue, and instantly the plane went through a prolonged period of shaking lasting in eternity. Air hostesses struggled with the shaking giving instructions here and there to bewildered passenger. The captain’s voice seemed to shake also over the speakers as he addressed all the passengers reassuring them to hold on as the plane had hit thunder clouds. Everyone in the plane was engaged in solemn prayer for God to deliver us from eminent death which right at us. The plane took a nose dive plunging us in a chorus of shouting. Somebody other row from which I was seat began to sing “Nearer to thee my Lord” amidst the shouting. After some time the plane stopped its nose dive and returned to a state of balance. Everyone was quiet now and I could feel my body again. Jubilation reined when the pilot announced all was well.
            Today although the flight fear is never like before because we go for vacations every year and more so my mom is not scared about us any more. Only thing she worried about was for my little sister and me to eat our brownie. Fear of flying although has subsided to some degree, it is always there in the sub-conscious when I remember the incident on the return journey from Aruba coupled with other crashes seen in news. All we can do about fear of flying is massaging our fear and shelving it because accidents are beyond our control when they happen.

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