On a return flight to Melbourne from Sydney yesterday I was seated next to a woman who, as it became abundantly clear once the plane began to accelerate up the runway, had a very big problem flying. She was next to the window and as the plane took off over that beautiful city, bathed in sunshine, she was doing everything she could to avoid the sight: shutting her eyes, gripping the arms of the seat, opening the in flight magazine and shoving her face into it. Every time the plane dipped its wings to turn right or left, or hit an air pocket, she yelped. After about ten minutes of this, just when we had had reached a cruising height enough so the seat belt lights had been turned off, she turned to me and apologised.
“I’m sorry you got stuck with me,” she said. “I’m not great at that part, once I’m in the air I’m a bit better. I get worse at flying as I get older. You seem to handle this okay.”
I assured her that while it doesn’t bother me all that much, the truth is it used to a great deal. I think I’ve only gotten better because I’ve been travelling a bit these past fourteen months or so. Experience helps.
Sometimes, but not all the time.
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While on the search for some missing files on my computer of an abandoned novel that I think would work well turned into a short story, it occurred to me recently that I’ve not written any fiction this year. I found it quite alarming, particularly because the second half of 2013 was set aside for exactly that purpose. Whoops. While ‘life has been getting in the way’, I’m not sure that’s a reasonable enough excuse. Then when I sat down to resume planning and making sketches for my novel I started getting very, very anxious. My last anxiety attack was at the Problogger Conference, and I only narrowly averted another this time by taking myself off for a walk and making the promise I’d come back to it once I was feeling a bit more mentally sturdy. Except I’m not, and I’m on a self-set deadline.
So I’m going to be like that woman on the plane – I might be frightened, but at least I got on. The ride might be hard, but it’s going to take me places.
Image credit: digidreamgrafix
