Short Story: A Grounding Experience
The common fear of flying
Fear of flying is really common, right? I open Google and search: “Typical altitude of a commercial plane.” I follow it with, “Flight duration from Houston, Texas to Las Vegas, Nevada.” Do you think sea level affects airplanes? Is the likelihood of mechanical failure during turbulence higher? Statistically speaking, how many people actually die on their way to an airport compared to people involved in a plane crash? How is Boeing doing nowadays? Personally, I am fine. I am not anxious at all.
Personally, I am fine. I am not anxious at all.
What am I allowed to carry onto the plane and what should I avoid taking? When I was younger, I worried about the plane being hijacked. As a result of 9/11, I am fixated on the fact that I cannot carry a water bottle, even if it is an emotional support water bottle, so how much will a Smart Water cost me after screening? I am going to need it in case I have to take the emergency Xanax I folded neatly inside a little Post-it. And what are the size limits on shampoo, toothpaste, mouthwash, and contact solution? I should take my AirPods in my pocket to watch a show and distract myself. What if I am so nervous that I have to pee or pop really bad when they begin to explain those emergency procedures? That will not happen. It is okay. I am not anxious.
That will not happen. It is okay. I am not anxious.
What time can I check in? What if I have to sit right by the engine because I do not check in on time, and that is all that is left? I know I cannot possibly handle that. I definitely have to leave for the airport at least two hours in advance. I have seen way too many videos of airplane engines caught on fire mid-flight, and I remember one of my relatives being in one in which the cabin began to smoke up as the result of some sort of failure. All the ones I have seen still landed safely though. I think I will live through it, even if it happened, but it does not matter. Right now, I am okay. I am not falling out of the sky. I am not anxious.
Right now, I am okay. I am not falling out of the sky. I am not anxious.
I hate how cramped seats in an airplane are. We supersize everything, and everything is bigger in my home state of Texas, but afterward, there are not large enough seats to fit Texas-sized cowboys. I bet if airlines charged per pound instead of per head there would be a lot more leg space. I have enough space for myself. I am not anxious right now.
I have enough space for myself. I am not anxious right now.
I was anxious before boarding, but now that I am seated, it turns out that I am surprisingly not anxious. I am… cold. I am cold, and I forgot to bring a jacket to my flight.
