for many years and many many hours of plane flights
I suffered through the very real malady called "fear of flying".
(as evidenced in such lyrics as "fly" and "I'd rather be right here")
it's a horrific mixture; part claustrophobia, part panic attack,
which is equally as terrifying as it is illogical.
it used to be as the plane would start down the runway
my hands would immediately began dripping sweat.
in a minute they'd be drenched in sweat.
each little movement or sound the plane might make
would provoke an uncontrolable panic.
I had to take a beta blocker medicine called Xanax.
I hated the effect of Xanax.
it would make me so stupid sometimes I forgot my bags.
once I was so zonked out I missed a connecting flight.
this lasted for maybe 15 years.
finally in 2002 krimson did a tour of Europe
during which I was unable to be medicated so
I overcame my fear and stopped the medicine
cold turkey.
I have been mostly fine ever since.
so on a recent flight when I was perusing the in-flight magazine
(called Velocity) I was keenly interested to read an article
concerning "what to do about fear of flying".
turns out the article's best and only piece of advice was
to "breath deeply" and the article even explained in depth
how to breath deeply as though anyone old enough
to read might not know how to breath deeply.
but my favorite tidbit of advice the article gave was this:
"remember, planes are HAPPIEST when they are flying!
that gives me such comfort.