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| Cesna 152 - The one I flew was blue! |
Last Friday I took a flying lesson—as in private pilot
license lesson. It was really more of an introduction but I was shown the
basics and got to take the controls to climb from 1000’ to 2000’, turn, bank,fly
around the countryside and descend again. Of course, I didn’t take off or land,
but doing something I’ve wanted to do since I first climbed into a private
plane in my late 20s was thrilling.
Getting a pilot’s license has been on my Bucket List
forever. Actually doing it has always been too expensive, too time-consuming or
otherwise inaccessible and yet the dream has lingered. I realized as we landed
that the choice was mine—was the time, money and hard work worth the end result
or not? I haven’t decided yet. I’m leaning toward yes. My DH is sure the answer is no-- the risk isn’t worth it.
Oddly enough, physical risk had never entered my mind.
Perhaps all those outlandish adventures I survived in my youth have given me an
unrealistic sense of immortality, or maybe focusing on the experience didn’t
leave room for trepidation. Whatever it was, I’d still like to go again, learn
to fly, get a plane and have adventures. Ati, my instructor, videoed a few seconds of me flying with my iPhone:
I had a ball and I’m sure I’ll never feel the pure terror in the skies
that I felt the first time I pitched my novel to an agent and editor. THAT was
scary—really, really scary.
What’s on your Bucket List?
Have you ever forced yourself to try something that scared the bejesus
out of you?
