I just spilled my coffee all over my keyboard and desk. The scent of Almond Joy Decaf is overwhelming. I spent 4.5 years down the hall without ever spilling anything on my desk. Now I’ve spilled coke and coffee on my new desk within a month of each other. Hmm.
The New York Times had an article today about the dwindling numbers of private pilots, especially young pilots. (There’s always been a lack of women pilots.) I’ve been surrounded by pilot talk lately, with both Jose and Jen taking lessons, and many people have asked when I’m going to start. The honest answer is that I don’t know. Maybe some day. Maybe never. I have passing interest in learning to fly, but at this point I’m not interested enough to invest the time and money. Maybe the article is right, maybe general aviation hasn’t been “exciting” or “new” enough for me. But I like flying, and I love that Jose is flying because it makes him so, so happy. I would never think of being a wife or girlfriend like those mentioned in the article — someone who would tell him not to fly because it’s too expensive, or because I need him at home. Why would I tell him to stop doing something that he loves?
Sadly, though, I think that’s why a lot of people do stop flying. In my division alone here at work, there are at least 12-15 people with pilot licenses. That in itself isn’t a surprise, since we’re all aviation and space buffs on some level. But of all those people (all men, except for Becca and Jen), there are only 3 or 4 who actively fly today. Most of them used to fly, but stopped when they got married, or had kids, citing the risk.
It’s weird. I know flying is a risk, and that one day Jose might go flying and something might happen. But what in life isn’t a little risky? He probably has a better chance of dying in his car than he does in that plane.
Anyway.
Despite the weather clearing up beautifully, I still rode on the bike trainer yesterday. It was just one of those days. I got home, and didn’t want to leave. So I compromised. It has been too long since I rode my bike, as I found out by the discomfort I felt in certain areas. Anyway, I rode for an hour and watched two episodes of Scrubs while doing it.
As I rode, cramped into the only available space in my living room, I looked around my apartment and thought about how nice it could be to live in my own house. I’m just so indecisive. I want a house. But I’m scared, and somehow the timing never seems right.