Waiting for the "Ding" (a repost)

(Credit for this post is due to the last scene of the 1989 movie “Say Anything”)

Ever got on an airplane? Well, as standard procedure, they make you put your hand carried luggage either in the compartments above you or underneath your seat, strap in your seatbelt, pull up your foot rest and food trays, open the window shades then brief you on proper emergency protocols just in case anything goes wrong during your flight. After that’s wrapped up, they roll onto the runway and propel the tin can with wings as fast as it could until the tires lift off the ground. And then you wait for the ding.

What ding, you ask? Well, as part of their safety precautions, they have the “No Smoking” and “Fasten seatbelt” signs lit during the most dangerous parts of the whole flight, specifically the take off and landings. When everything seems secure and safe enough, the pilot (or maybe the co-pilot) turns off these lights, that action usually accompanied by a “ding”. That’s when you can breathe a little easier, as most accidents purpotedly happen during the first and last 5 minutes of the flight.

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In a way, most of us live our lives terrified that the ding will never come. We hold our breath and watch the lights, wondering why it’s taking too long. In that same span of time, everything is on hold. You can’t unstrap yourself to pee, open a book or plug in your earphones. Funny how such a silly sound creates that big of an impact. As if we need to hear that ding to know that everything’s gonna be alright from then on.

The truth is, all that ding does is hold us back from living our lives the way we would have if we were unconscious of the ding in the first place.