Pride and Joy

If there was one thing in my life which I consider my pride and joy, it will definitely be my flying career. A childhood dream came true, the hardwork and effort as well as the fighting spirit throughout these years did not go in vain. Little did I know that my job is highly "sought after" until I noticed the eye full of admiration staring at me every time I walk in and out the aircraft and airport. Some people glance, some stare, and some fix their eye on me with a smile. Of course, I give them back a quick look with a smile as well. There was one time the aircraft forward lavatory was not working properly and I had no choice but to use the rear lavatory. As I walked down the aisle, all eye was on me and that kind of feeling was like, WOW! On few occasions, after the aircraft had come to complete stop and all passengers disembarked, few would remain in the cabin and asked permission to enter the cockpit just to take a quick look. When they did so, they were overwhelmed with excitement and curiosity. Some managed to snap few pics before leaving, subject to captain's approval. Some shook my hand to express their gratitude for a safe flight and smooth journey. A small little gesture it seems, but the end result could be so much different as it helps to light up one's day and thus ease some pressures.

But life is always tough my friend. What you see today is not the whole picture. People only notice the glorious and successful part of my life, but very few will take note on the bad experience and failure I had in the past. For me, everyday is a challenge, every flight is a challenge, because I need to ensure that I perform to the required level, any lack in performance is unacceptable. From time to time, I need to remain vigilant, even if it's just a short flight. At times, when shit hit the fence and you were really having a "bad hair day", you just counldn't help making a lot of mistakes in flight. You couldn't imagine what you did, you felt like, "oh crap, what was I doing, what's happening, what's wrong with me today." Then you started to feel stupid and to lesser extent, giving up. Every time when such thought crossed my mind, I felt like defeated and shattered. But then I could never forget the conversation between the father and the son in a Japanese series movie. The father, an old fisherman, told his son who is a pilot and had a car crash and thus broke his leg that "I sailed in the sea for years and I encountered countless storm. But I never give up no matter how violent the storm is, I fight with the storm and I come back home safe and sound every time. How much more are you, a bird which soars in the sky, shouldn't you be tough and courageous as well? Why are you giving up so easily when it's just a small storm of life attacking you"? Eventually, the son stood up, once again, forsaking his past and threw his clutches away. Before long, his flying career restored and he moved on.

I have so much to tell you about the hardship of becoming a pilot. But that's not what I intended to talk right now, and I believe every career field has its own hardship as well. Putting hardship aside, there were also moments which I cherish in flying. From the time you walked in to the airport terminal, some lost passengers asked for direction as they were late, some asked about how to get a taxi, all sort of people. When you're doing a long flight, 3-4 hours across the ocean and above the clouds, you feel like you are so close to mother earth, you touch the sky, you soak in rain and cloud, or mist at times. The blue sky, seems to have soothing effect, and the deep blue ocean, they seem to calm my troubled soul down. Sometimes, when you're going eastward, you're running ahead of the sun, and it shines on you and almost blind your eye. At dawn, you can see the dark earth slowly being lit up by light. Sometimes, when you're going westward, at dusk especially, you're chasing the sun, but you can never overtake her, she moves swiftly and soon you will see lots of afterglow and the sky turns orange, with some blues also visible, kinda like two colours exist in one time. And then, the night engulfs, and at once the whole earth is in total darkness.

For many, flying was regarded as luxurious and glamorous in those days. But things have certainly changed a lot in the last decade. With the introduction of low cost carrier, flying is no longer a dream too far to achieve. But still, a lot of people still haven't been on airplane before. Some of us only travel once in a year, it's like a rare opportunity, something that will only happen when the moon is blue. Quite the contrary to many people, I fly almost everyday, and for this sake, I'm thankful for what God has placed in my life, and yes, I will persevere on, no matter how steep is the road ahead!