Leaving On a Jet Plane
“All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go… ‘Cause I’m leaving on a jet plane…”
John Denver
Two weeks ago my tickets and passport were in my hand. I was ready to go on vacation. My mind was set and I was excited.
There was the swoosh of take-off, pressed to the back of my seat, zooming, suspended, floating above the clouds, a plastic compartmented tray of packaged food in front of me, the descent, the bump of wheels on solid tarmac, a backwards thrust and the long wait for deboarding.
We found our luggage, boarded our train and arrived at our lodging. We were ready to do things, go places and meet people!
But, my body was not where my mind as. Tiredness overcame my active mind and excited emotions. I dozed, shook myself awake but, in spite of all my efforts, I slept.
Many years ago we emigrated from England to Canada and traveled over the same stretch of water. We sailed on an ocean liner across the Atlantic. For several days we saw no sign of land. We felt the endless waves beneath us, lifting us and placing us down. Our ship was so small compared to the immense sea, that we were fooled into thinking we were moving slowly. The horizon stretched into the far distance. Time stood still and our minds and bodies got used to life on the ocean. We had left behind friends, family, work places and homes. Each evening, on the ship, we set our watches back to accommodate the time change and danced for another hour before the ocean gently rocked us to sleep in our bunks. Gradually, we approached our new, unknown life. Our bodies were adjusting to the new time-zone and our minds were beginning to embrace the challenges ahead of finding employment, a home and new friends. By the time our ship passed the crazily stacked apartments of Habitat 67 and docked at Montreal, we were ready to face all that lay ahead.
But, this time, for this vacation, we are flying by jet. We pick up our luggage from the carousel and realize it’s tomorrow where we’ve come from; sleep is still hours away. I feel disoriented, in between. I am coming home so why do I feel misplaced? My body is present with headachy brain fuzz, and the rest of me, my mind, emotions and soul are somewhere else. Maybe they’re still on vacation, or way up in the stratosphere. It will take a night or two to get adjusted to being at home again.
How easy it is to scoop up some clothes, toiletries, a book and an umbrella and pack them in a suitcase. I wish it were that easy to keep body, mind and soul together.
by Andrea Kidd
