Thoughts inside the SILENT SOUL

Fear of Flight—I don’t know why am much scared of this life less creature. This fear that started during my childhood is prevailing even now.

Once my parents planned for an air travel from Chennai to Coimbatore when I was in class four. I was happy hearing that. But after coming to the airport I got frightened seeing big flights parked in the airport. I told my dad that I would stay with my uncle in Chennai and I asked them to go. My dad was convincing me telling that there is nothing to fear. But I didn’t give up. Finally he agreed with my wish and told that I can go with my uncle after giving a send off to them. That was my first visit to an airport. We were sitting in a waiting hall. After sometime there was an announcement and I didn’t know what that was. My dad told that we have to move to another room where we have to wait till the flight comes. So we walked to that room through a long passage. That room was like a small auditorium with seats on both sides of the path. My dad asked me to sit near him and I was looking around the room and at the lights over my head. Then there came an announcement to fasten the seat belts and only then I realized I was sitting in a flight. The flight’s door was very close to the passage through which we walked and I didn’t know that I was stepping in to a flight and not into any room. I stared at my dad and he asked me to close my eyes tightly to get out of the fear. The flight took off. I usually get vomiting sensation when I travel in bus. So I tried to bring that sensation though I didn’t get it. The air hostess brought sandwiches and drinks. My brother had everything. But I missed them out of fear and later realized I should have had them. Thus was my first air travel experience.

The flights have created a great impact on me that I often see them even in my dreams. I was narrating one such dream to my friends and they were enjoying it. Let me post it here……

One fine evening after my office work I was getting ready for my friend’s (Binu) marriage in Dindigul. I went to the airport. There were big flights being parked like the buses in the bus stand. I went near one of them and enquired about the next flight to Dindigul. I was pointed to a flight standing near by. I went and took a window seat in that flight. The great comedy here was the flight was running on a highway along with other vehicles. I saw a bus moving in parallel and I found Binu sitting in the bus. I called her and asked where she was going.I know it is a stupid question. But i was in a world where there was no logic and no rules as in reality. She told me that she was going for her marriage. We were exchanging some conversations as the flight and bus were running parallel in the highway. All of a sudden something unexpected happened. A man was trying to cross the road. The pilot got out of control and instead of pressing the break he made the flight take off. As the flight started moving upwards I fell down from the flight and hit the ground. I don’t know what happened after that as I lost my consciousness. Like in some Tamil movies I opened my eyes in a hospital. Then I woke up from my bed, realized it was a dream and started laughing alone.

In another dream, I was standing in the corridor of my home and drinking a cup of milk and was just seeing the roadside. I then noticed a flight flying at a great height was coming down the level. Suddenly it got burst into pieces over my neighbor’s home.

Now I don’t have the fear of flying after few travels during my trip to Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. I have also made a solo air travel from Chennai to Coimbatore few days back (Between same points as in my first travel). I have become comfortable in flying and enjoying the view of the earth below me. But even now my blood pressure increases if I see a flight very closer. I feel like I am viewing a whale. I wonder haven’t I seen a mountain which is much bigger than a plane. Yet I didn’t get any answers for my fear.

As I walk through my college campus to reach my department in the morning, when ever the Kingfisher or the Emirates flies close over my head all these gets flashes before me and goes off.