The Things I Learn From Turbulence

I think I fly more than the average bear (for those of you too young to get the reference, go to YouTube and find Yogi Bear… it’ll be fun 🙂 ). Whether across the country for work or overseas for missions, I log a lot of miles in the sky. You would think I would get used to “a little light chop”… see, I can even talk the lingo. .. but no. Turbulence and I have a hate-hate relationship. As I sit here at 30 something thousand feet, white knuckling the armrest and seat in front of me, and knowing my blood pressure would probably make that lovely cuff they put on your arm explode into a million tiny fragments, I’m determined that it won’t get the best of me… I have to get something going from it… so, here are a few things:

– Turbulence is a great ice breaker: you can sit next to people you don’t know for hours and never say a word, but let a few “crash!” “Bang!” and “Booms! ” happen, and immediately you have something to talk about with your neighbor

– Turbulence let’s you know who is king of the jungle: whether you are in coach or first class, a baby or the president of a major corporation, Turbulence owns it’s domain. It is the great equalizer. We all become human at that point

– Turbulence is a great relationship builder: a little shaking can make you appreciate those you have at home a little more, and make you want to say “I love you” a little more than “why didn’t you clean the kitchen?”

– Turbulence builds trust in others. You might think know you can go it alone, but when that plane starts rocking you realize you are totally out out of control and have to trust your life to the pilots and flight attendants. Similarly, we trust ourselves to family,  friends, peers etc., who help us through the turbulence of life.

– Turbulence is not your enemy… it just “is”: There is not an evil wind beast lurking in the skies waiting for a plane to come by so it can mess with it. It is circumstantial… something we encounter.  I read a quote that said falling down was part of life… getting up is living. So it is with turbulence… we have to deal with it, but we get through it, get up and go on with life. I choose to get up, knowing I can trust the pilots (and of course, my Pilot) to get me through it and where I need to go.

I still hate it, but I will get something out of it every time.