In Flight

 

aeronautics - noun - the science or practice of travel through the air (Google).

I don't know about you, but I've never been afraid to fly, literally and figuratively. (Well, maybe I was in the figurative sense as a young person, but definitely not now :).) In the literal sense, I enjoy commercial aeronautics, but only if the designated carrier is on time and hassles on the ground and in the air are minimal. Admittedly, I have mustered the courage to travel through the air via unorthodox means, such as a hot-air balloon, parasail, stunt plane, zip line, and bi-plane, the latter being my favorite. There is something decidedly romantic about riding in a vibrating convertible with duel airfoil surfaces, 800 feet above ground. Skiing I also associate with flight as the sensations experienced are similar. Speed and airflow combine to make the daredevil on parallel boards feel as free as a bird or stunt pilot, especially if the skier is daring enough to tackle moguls, jumps, and terrain parks. I am not that person. Lately, though, the muscular pain that I feel when negotiating an elementary green or blue slope isn't all that freeing. I'll probably have to stick with bi-planes as I age. 

Figuratively, aeronautics has found a viable metaphor: sex. If you are old enough, you may remember Erica Jong's 1973 novel Fear of Flying, a controversial portrait of female sensuality that evolved into a bestseller. Which is not surprising. The protagonist, aptly and cutely named Zelda Wing, makes a conscious decision to cheat on her hubby while on a trip to Vienna, my idea of the most romantic European city. Although amoral to say the least, the book resonated with unliberated housewives who felt trapped in their day-to-day, unfulfilling existences married to martini-doused men like the perennial Ward Cleaver. Although I have never read the book myself, I wouldn't mind taking a step backwards to do so just to see if Jong's themes are still relevant. Since adultery has never quite gone out of style, I am certain the tome will seem like the timeless period piece that it is. Fear and flying, if nothing else, are still commonplace, so the title alone might be a draw if the book were purchased and positioned prominently in any bookshop's window today. If I were the owner of a bookstore, I would definitely go that distance since what's old is often new again. 

If little else, flying in any sense of the word is food for fantasy. According to dream interpretation, flying in your dreams is an auspicious omen: the quest for freedom, which makes sense. In the end, perhaps we humans are meant to embrace aeronautics in all of its various forms. Personally, if I were to be reincarnated as a duck, I'd be very content indeed.

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