Why is it every time I am about to go on vacation planes starting falling out of the sky? Ever since 9/11 I have been terrified of flying. I was nervous before, but it got much worse after 9/11. It seems as if a month before I have to fly, planes start having all sorts of problems such as engine malfunctions, smoke in the cabin, landing gear tires blowing out upon take-off, and much, much worse.
I also hate turbulence and tend to look at the turbulence map 24 hours before I have to fly. I want to see how bad it is going to be flying across the United States. Years ago when we flew to London from San Francisco, the turbulence was so bad. I swear we had 9 straight hours of turbulence. I finally stopped one of the flight attendants and asked him how long the turbulence was going to last and in his British accent he replied "ages". I am certain I turned all shades of pale and green as he went on to say that we had a tail wind and it was causing a really bumpy ride, but nothing to worry about...yeah right! Have you ever noticed that the turbulence starts when they hand you a beverage? As soon as you have your drink or food on your tray, the shaking begins. I can almost count on it.
My doctor was kind enough to prescribe a teeny bit of medication for flying. It doesn't always help as my fears can get the best of me. I worry about who will take care of our dog Macualy and two kitty cats, Petals and Priscilla if something happens to us. I worry the entire way there and back..... I am making deals with God and making promises to do better in life If I make it off this plane alive. (Is anyone laughing yet?) As I am writing this, I think I sound like a whack job....but this is a real fear for me, and not much fun for my husband to experience right along with me.
I would love to hear about what others do to stay calm and not white knuckled while flying. I have 8 days to go before I have to walk down that jet way to find my seat on the airplane.
