Yes, I’m “flying again” at the thought of boarding an airplane again in a few days. Several months after the initial COVID lockdown, while golfing with friends, I remember hearing the sound of an airplane in the sky. Looking up I began thinking, “that’s a wonderful sound, that’s a wonderful sight, that’s normal.” I felt nostalgic for the many trips I’ve taken in all kinds of airplanes; DC 3, two and four seater single engine, jets of all sizes and configurations, the Concorde, helicopters, seaplanes and a glider. I was feeling nostalgic for sure!
A February 27, 2021 Wall Street Journal article by Clay Routledge countered the belief that nostalgia is “bad”, explaining that people often misunderstand how it’s experienced. Research has shown that “nostalgia can bring comfort and meaning, even inspiration. It’s all about the future more than the past.”
Best selling author Eckhart Tolle (The Power of Now) claims “My life improved immeasurably when I was able to find a balance between living in the past, remembering the past, thinking of the past and thinking about the future.”
Yes I’m looking forward to my first plane travel in well over a year even though it’ll be a quick two day turn around. I’m looking forward to more flying in the US to visit friends and family. I’m looking forward to taking international flights to places that will be both nostalgic and inspirational. That’s why I’m “flying again”.
-Harriet