Taxi, Take Off, & Landing
"Seat must be occupied for taxi, take off, and landing", the sign read. After the fasten seatbelts sign had gone off, and the flight attendant and I exchanged manicure regimens she returned to her duties and I was left to my own devices. My mind often wanders and I end up somewhere between the present moment, a future desire, and a reference point from the past to validate my current train of thought.
I read the sign a few times before I finally laughed to myself thinking how the words could be translated into life. My life at least.
Taxi, take off, and landing are the parts of flying I dislike the most. They give me the most anxiety and my mind goes to all the Final Destination, Snakes on a Plane, and September 11th scenarios. I don't know what it's like to have a real emergency in flight. Sure I've had delays, mechanical issues, and people getting sick... but nothing life threatening. My imagination often runs wild with that possibility during taxi, take off, and landing. What if the wheel doesn't extend or falls off, what if the brakes fail, what if the pilot loses control? Statistically speaking those things will not likely happen. And because of my faith I have no business operating from a framework of fear. Yet and still those times in life make me very uneasy. My life is in someone else's hands, quite literally and I have no say to decide when I am coming or going. What a nightmare!
”Seat must be occupied".
During the most volatile and disconcerting times in my metaphorical existence the seat, (my seat), must be occupied. When there is the most risk, danger, and room for failure, my seat must be occupied. When I am uncertain and not in control, my seat must be occupied.
Now there's a thought! You want me to sit calmly and quietly while things are happening that I have no say in? Where is the candid camera?
Maybe there is an opportunity somewhere in there for me to be present and surrender. Maybe there is a place I haven't been with myself where I can explore in those moments. Maybe there is an opportunity for me to breathe and do nothing. Or maybe I'll flip out and be escorted from my seat due to my inability to calm myself.
Whatever the outcome, be it my catastrophizing or the reality of the avoidance of what's underneath it, I think life gives us opportunities to sit with ourselves such that we discover things are not always as they seem.
In those moments where we are taxiing, is also when we're most grounded. Take off is taking risk and adventure and leaving things to chance. Landing is finding safety and comfort, knowing you've made it to your destination.
