3 Lessons from Flying in an Airplane

My family and I are taking a vacation this week.  We are traveling from the West Coast back home to the East Coast.  I thought I would interrupt my writing schedule with some fresh insights about life that I learned while flying with Southwest Airlines. 

Lesson Number One

Every time I get on an airplane I cannot help but mentally prepare for the worst.  I imagine what I would do if the plane was hijacked.  I take my military training and run through different scenarios.  I could go into details here but I will spare you.  Also, as we taxi down the runway and I watch the wings bounce, I cannot help but imagine them as very brittle and under a lot of stress.  What would it look like if one just fell off in flight?  I am calm, but I often sense the fragility of life.  That’s just it.  Lesson number one is that life is fragile. 

Lesson Number Two

As we were flying, we experienced some turbulent air.  It was not too bad, just a little bumpy.  This reminds me of life.  Sometime the wind gets taken out from under your wings or it kicks up a notch or two and causes some vibrations.  This can be a scary experience.  If you brace yourself and ride through it, the wind will settle.  This is lesson number two.  Life gets bumpy for everybody, just ride it out and reach your destination.

Lesson Number Three

Nobody wants this but if you fly enough, you will experience a delayed flight.  We were delayed in Chicago, Illinois for about an hour.  This is not a big deal for me, but for some people it is.  Sometimes the plane needs some work done on it.  To me it is better to wait around than to get on a plan that will crash.  People who become frantic have been trained by our have it now society.  We as a culture do not know how to wait anymore.  Here is the lesson—expect delays in life and make the best use of your down time.

The Bottom Line

If you put it all together, you get something like this.  Life is fragile and it gets bumpy.  Ride out the bumps to your destination and expect delays.  When you do get delayed, make the best use of your down time.  It takes time to get from where you are to where you want to be.  Take a flight and Break your Nature.