Flying Through...

...the clouds of life

The first time I flew on an airplane, I was with my friend Patty, who asked me to go with her to one of her boyfriend's (and almost husband's) events at the Air Force Academy. I remember dressing up a bit and sitting by the window in awe as we flew from Wisconsin to Colorado.

Back then, I didn't need an aisle seat for my legs because you could stretch them out in every seat. Now, of course, that's impossible, and I need an aisle seat because I never miss a chance to use the bathroom, too. The plane back then was clean, large, lovely, and everyone on it was polite. It is a world long gone.

This past weekend, I flew to Florida for a dear friend's 80th birthday, and I am still thinking about how the clouds of life have changed.

First of all, the outdated Asheville airport looked like a war-torn evacuation center. One guy all dressed up got off an airplane and stood in front of me and said, "Oh My God! I travel all over the world, and this looks like a third-world country." The airport waited too long to expand, and it's always busy now. People fly like some of us drive.

The St. Petersburg airport was much better, but the people who fly now all act as if the plane is going to take off without them. There's also the sort-of hilarious parade of hauling crap onto the plane. We are apparently so in need of "our stuff" that we have to bring it all with us.

Now, there is also the terrifying thought that every airport might be like the one in Newark…understaffed and out of control.

So much for the original thrill of flying I once had, and I should also mention that I've had several near misses while flying. One was so bad people crawled off the airplane, and that included the flight attendants. I am very fond of airport bars when I am forced to fly.

Things change. In many ways, almost everything changes. The city where we once owned a lovely wine bar is no longer the same. Sleazy bars are scattered everywhere so people can line up and do shots. It's too hot to walk or breathe. Flying in airplanes is no longer exciting but a chance to practice your survival skills. It's hard to get another human to say hello even if your ass cheeks are touching in those tiny seats.

Here is what stays the same…the love you hold in your heart for a friend who has made it to 80, the way you feel when you see other friends who have stayed in touch, and their eyes light up when you run to hug them, the view from the 15th floor of another drear friends condo when the storm is dashing across the skyline, the relief you feel at having made the right decision to move onto the next phase of your life six years ago and then the way your heart surges when the damn plane touches down and you know you are home.

Broads know that the important things in life never change. Hold on tight to those things, and if you can drive instead of fly…do it!

And now, as we did in the old days of journalism…###…this one is over.