Traveling like a dog. I don’t much like to fly anymore. This week I’m excited to be headed to Woods Hole Massachusetts for a very cool film festival. You can’t drive very effectively from Phoenix to Woods Hole. The situation requires a red eye flight to Boston and a bus ride. This I’m not looking forward too. Stuck between people in tiny seats for long periods. Think a big dog in a small kennel on a long ride. Puppy may be happy when he gets there and can run and play, but the kennel part sucks. Since it is a red eye–puppy is in the dark too; it’s a good thing I’m not afraid of the dark, and hopefully I’ll sleep. To break up my apprehension I’ll relay my favorite second hand airline flight story. I was told this story as fact by someone who has credibility as a truth teller.

Many years ago, on a non stop flight from an island far away in the Pacific Ocean a man is seated by a window seat. He calmly gazes out at the blue Pacific as time passes peacefully. He is over the wing and he sees a panel on the wing that appears to be loose. He calls the Flight Attendant over, and she quickly assures him there is nothing wrong. He orders a drink, and before it returns the wing panel shears off and flies into the sky. Now quite worried he motions over for the Flight Attendant. She looks down sees the hole in the wing and says she’ll get the Captain. Before the Captain arrives a second wing panel comes flying loose and he can see right through the wing. The Captain arrives and as a third panel flies loose but he calmly states: “Not to worry those are non essential wing components.” As the Captain returns to the cockpit the passenger orders a double and tries to stay calm. After much time a safe landing is made. Weeks go by and our happy passenger is relaying his story to a friend who is a pilot. With a slight smile his pilot buddy says “there is no such thing as a NON ESSENTIAL wing component.”

So, wish me a safe but crowded trip. Peace and Woof Woof.