Welcome Aboard

Socrates once said, ~Man must rise above the Earth--to the top of the atmosphere and beyond--for only thus will he fully understand the world which he live in.~ Without a doubt, air travel is the single most exhilerating experience that can bring joy, excitement, frustration, wonderment, anxiety, and fear all in one package. If you think about it, there's something about an airplance, whether you're looking at one up in the air, sitting in the runway as you look at it from the terminal, or sitting in one that brings out the little hyperactive kid inside you. Let me ask you this question, do you feel the same way I do or is it just my dorky and geeky self?

For some, most, or all people the aniticipation of getting ready to take off can be considered such an adrenaline rush. Yet, we've all had experiences where one's plane took seeminly forever to start its departure and there comes a point you start to get a bit edgy. Edgy, not in the sense of going ballistic to where you get beat up by the passengers, but edy in the sense that you want to be in the air amongst the clouds, birds, stars, etc. In any case, when you do finally depart you feel somewhat like Superman or Supergirl as you gradually rise up up and away into the wild blue yonder minus the cape and the tight fitting uniform, of course which wouldn't look good on someone like me...trust me on this.

Essentially, when you're in the air up there all your problems are left on the ground, but unfortunately they'll be waiting for. Anyways, when you look down at something so amazing from 30,000 ft or more, you see so much more than when you are on the ground. For the question can be asked, would you rather fly during the day or during at night? Personally speaking, I would rather fly during the night because at night you witness something so spectacular and beautiful as the bright lights illuminate the ground below. In those brief hourse you spend in the air, your problems are insignificant as you enjoy the entertainment outside and the inflight entertainment inside.

Being a military kid, flying was part of the routine and without failure I would sit next or near the wings. Before leaving Pensacola, the weather was rainy and there came a point where in the back of my mind I wanted to do something that was considered mischevious and a little bit twisted, but I didn't do it due in part to the passengers may beat me up for it. Now, if you're a fan of the Twilight Zone, you may remember the airplane episode with William Shatner and then later updated with John Lithgow. Yup, you guessed it as I wanted so badly to jump up out of my seat/scream out loud or tap the passenger sitting next to me and say that there is a monkey on the wing.

In retrospect, you are never too young or too old to enjoy flying on an airplane. Despite security checkpoints, passengers taking their sweet time putting their baggages away, people kicking your seat, mediorce meals, crying children, children who every ten seconds peek over the seat, waiting a lifetime to get your bags in the terminal, etc. it didn't take away from the fact that you were flying without wings. How many of us can truly say that we didn't have a smile on our face when we sat down in our seats, buckled our seatbelts, and waited with baited breath to take off. In the end, you're not officially flying until the captain comes over the loud speaker, greets the passengers, and says these two words which are welcome aboard.