Sunday, November 7, 2010

planes are HAPPIEST when they're flying!

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.

14 comments:

  1. ...and think of all the people you're making happy by flying to their hometowns.

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  3. LOL...Doesn't take a genius to figure that out (the planes being happy comment).

    What I do is to just browse the magazines without paying attention to the flight attendants explaining the emergency procedures. I've flown quite a bit so I just browse the magazines and take a look at the thing they have in the front seat with the emergency exits, etc...

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  4. Breathing deeply is the best cure for just about everything! Peace and Love, Stephanie

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  5. Agreed :) I teach Yoga and you might be surprised to know that most people do not know how to breath deeply !!
    Glad you've conquered your fear Adrian, cheers :)

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  6. I felt a bit like this when you shaked my hand in Verviers while the ground was vanishing under my feet... That happened when you got off the stage after the concert and after having shaked the hands of the boys.

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  7. Rory had this problem. Do you remember Rory?

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  8. Planes are happiest when flying you to Tampa!!!

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  9. That is one of the many difference between planes and me, I'm happiest when I listening Your music. Sad planes.

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  10. So are planes kind of grumpy when they are parked in a hanger? Tetchy while waiting to load up? Afraid of mechanics in the same way some people are of dentists? I must ask one some time.

    Presumably the plane that just flew me a copy of 'E' hummed its way all the way across the Atlantic. I was happiest when the parcel arrived and the disc went in the player - straight back to London and your sublime gig. Bliss.

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  11. You can overcome one fear when there is a worse one. I'm hoping the trio.
    Brazil!!!
    fear of not seeing you next year

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  12. This has nothing to do with planes. But, I am having the hardest time trying to figure out how to play 1967. I have the turning down, but because I rarely play in this tuning I'm having the hardest time finding the notes. Any pointers or tips?
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD-GrAMUzO8

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  13. i suffer from an illogical fear of lawnmowers .
    pt2 .

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  14. Es bueno saber que sos humano después de todo

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