Jottings From Fifth & G: Fear of flying

Published 1:25 pm Thursday, July 31, 2025

Recently, I had an experience that made me think about flying. There are numerous ways to experience flight, from traditional airplanes and helicopters to more unconventional methods like jetpacks, balloons and even kites. To quote Google: “These can be categorized into powered and unpowered flight.”

I’ve been fortunate to have had many “flights of fancy” in my life: like when I played the role of Peter Pan in my high school senior play — I think probably because I was the smallest senior, at 4 feet, 9 inches weighing in at 97 pounds. Admittedly, it was exciting playing Peter, and being strapped into a harness under my costume, attached to heavy wires which propelled me above the stage and out over the audience at our local auditorium in Bakersfield, California. I can’t say I loved living in Bakersfield with its hot summers, but I did go to a great high school with a wonderful dramatic arts coach. We were able to use the big city auditorium which just happened to be a block from the high school campus. Flying over the stage while mouthing the words of Mary Martin was one of the highlights of my high school years.

Then there was the time when my husband and I won a trip to Bali, Indonesia. I had always wanted to try parasailing which requires no formal training. While on a beach in Bali, I saw signs inviting tourists to try this way of flying. The price was right and while my husband said, “it’s not for me,” with some trepidation he gave me the sign: “Go ahead. You’ve always wanted to try it.” I can remember the wonderful feeling of floating over the beach and ocean, lofted like a seabird, with the soft sound of the air currents entering my ears, almost like music. I loved this all too brief experience of flying — all of ten minutes.

Then there’s air travel. I’m one who loves new adventures. I didn’t have a taste of international travel until my first job out of college when I was hired to work for the U.S. Army Special Services, as a civilian recreation director at an enlisted soldiers’ club in France. I’ve never stopped loving flying to new and foreign places. Well, that is until recently.

Let me explain. For several years now, since our retirement, my husband and I have enjoyed visiting Mexico, especially the small town of San Miguel de Allende, famous for its beautiful colonial buildings and churches, its arts and culture, such as amazing performing musicians, art galleries and the annual International Writers Conference. On a recent trip down to San Miguel, flying low over the Leon, Guanajuato airport, our plane suddenly shot straight up into the atmosphere — there was an audible communal gasp from the nearly 300 passengers on board, then complete silence as we felt the plane tilt and make continuous circles over the airport for the next 10 minutes. Finally, the pilot’s voice could be heard over the loudspeaker: ”My apologies, folks, but we just came within feet of missing another oncoming plane on our same flight path, for which I had no warning — I had to make a quick decision to get out of its way!” Then came the communal sigh as the plane landed lightly and safely at our destination. It was a close call. One I never want to repeat!

So now to “Fear of Flying.” That’s a reference and nod to the famous writer, Erica Jong — well at least famous to women of my generation, the pre-boomers, the generation known as the “Silent Generation” born in the ‘40s. The title of one of her first books was “Fear of Flying.” Ms. Jong was invited to speak at the first annual San Miguel Writers’ Conference.

I arrived early and found myself all alone with the author before others had arrived. Erica Jong walked up to me and asked if I was a writer. Shyly I said I was working on my second book, first novel (subsequently titled “Under the Salvadoran Sun”) but had trepidations about it ever being published. My first book, nonfiction, “Europe with Two Kids and a Van,” about our young family’s travels six months in Europe camping in a VW Van on a $10/day budget, had the good fortune of finding its publisher. This was many years later, when a 60-something author had a hard time finding an agent to represent her/his book to publishers. Ms. Jong picked up her book entitled “Sapphos’ Leap,” quickly autographed it writing on the title page: “Sher, take the leap!” To this day, I thank her for encouraging me to not have a “fear of flying.” Eventually my novel, “Under the Salvadoran Sun” was self-published by me while living in San Miguel de Allende. With adventures ahead, and future trips to Mexico, I have told myself to no longer have a fear of flying.

Sher Davidson is a member of the Jottings writing group at the Lake Oswego Adult Community Center.