I'll Fly Away

I'm starting to notice that most of my post titles are song lyrics. It must be because I am from a musical family, but I digress.

Last week I took an impromptu trip to NYC to visit friends and family and if you don't know me, I cannot stand to fly. It's not like hating okra or liver, I REALLY hate it. I've been flying for a very long time, but it doesn't make it any easier. I am afraid. I think part of my fear is because I am no longer in control. I always think that if I flew in the cockpit, I'd feel much better - no joke. Obviously, that is not an option. Everyone has different fears and I respect that, but some people just don't understand fears and it's so upsetting to me.

While talking with a friend of mine some time ago, we were discussing my upcoming flight and I was sharing my feelings of anxiety with her. She proceeded to tell me that flying was safer than driving, which I already know but it does not make me feel any better. I responded that if I got into a car accident, I'd have a pretty good chance of surviving, but not so much in an airplane crash. Although, I've recently learned that more people survive plane crashes that you'd think. Still not assuring. Then this person told me to just pretend that I am in a car and when we hit turbulence pretend it's like going over potholes. I honestly wanted to ring her neck! Clearly, she did not understand my fear, so I no longer discuss it with her. I am aware of the statistics of dying in an airplane crash, and I can rationalize all day long, but when I am 35,000 feet in the air, it all goes out the window. Why can't people who clearly do not understand a particular fear just acknowledge what I am going through and listen instead of offering the dumbest advice ever? This said, I made it to and from NYC without a problem (just some minor turbulence). If you suffer from a fear or know someone who does, please be sure to be sensitive to them. What are some of your fear and how do you overcome them? By the way, the best way I found to overcome flying is either chardonnay or xanax!