The Plane Is Not Going to Crash

I believe that the plane is not going to crash. When I was five, I remember walking down the long hallway to my first plane ride. I squeezed my beanie-baby with my sweaty hands as I sat down in seat 20C. The mood around me was full of laughter and excitement as people conversed about reaching paradise. My parents took me to see the pilots before take-off and they gave me little airline pin. All I did was stare at them with a frightened face and watery eyes. How could I trust these strangers with my life? I thought there was no way this plane could hold all these people in the air for thousands of miles over the endless ocean. As the plane accelerated down the runway and the nose lifted in the air, I closed my eyes and heard my mothers comforting voice, and “the plane is not going to crash”. And of course it did not.

From that day on I believe that the plane is not going to crash. Whenever I am faced with life’s challenges or fears, in my head I repeat, “The plane is not going to crash. It is not going to crash”. Whether I have to give a Spanish presentation or serve the ball on game point, that phrase is my guiding force that brings out my inner strength. I am able to remember the time on the plane when I was no loner afraid. By repeating, “the plane is not going to crash”, I feel like I have a sword of power, that arms me no matter the task.

I’ve also learned to have more trust in the people around me. As a child I was often scared of leaving my parents and going with new people. I now know how to trust people, like the pilots. I believe that some things that happen in my life cannot be controlled, so I just have to trust that everything will be okay. Instead of having a scared outlook on life, I can live thinking ‘the glass is half full’.

One of the greatest lessons I have learned from everyday fears, that we all have a common connection though human fears and it makes us stronger when we fight them together. As children often we see adults as fearless, which makes childhood fears lonely. However as I have grown up, I realized that everyone is has fears. Now I can share my technique for overcoming fears to anyone who needs it. I like to think of my first plane ride was an experience of fear, that years later, gave me courage. I can’t help but think of Bob Marley’s words, “Don’t worry, be happy”. Now I can just live life, not worrying, because I believe that the plane is not going to crash.