This is the speech I gave at ToastMasters today. I was awarded Best Speaker. You'll have to use your imagination for vocal variety and body language. I was reliving every moment of my narrative.
When I was a kid I walked around like this [head up, eyes on the heavens]. Watching airplanes. Watching birds.
I decided I would be an airline stewardess, as a way to get up in the air. But when I grew up I found out I would have to be a Registered Nurse to be a stewardess. Nurse! No Way! That was wa-a-a-y down on my list of career choices.
It never occurred to me that I could be a pilot.
I changed my mind many years later about nursing, but I digress.
In the meantime, I watched for airplanes and dreamed. I watched the birds and wondered what it would be like to fly. I thought it would be wonderful. *sigh*
Later when I was a mature adult, I did have dreams of flying. I mean really flying. Propelling my body through the air. I don't know I took off in the first place--my dreams never showed me that. I was just in the air--flying [arms outstretched, but not flapping]. When I wanted to turn, all I had to do was tilt my body, like so, and I'd turn. If I wanted to go up, I raised my head. If I wanted to go down, I put my head down. I almost crashed once, but I remembered to raise my head and turn my body just so, to get "lift." I still wonder, though, what would have happened if I hadn't remembered how to go up. Would I have fallen out of bed and cracked my head? [laugh]
I haven't had those dreams in a very long time.
I did learn to fly an airplane, though. I was past 40 when I decided it was time to realize a dream. I was working in the Long Beach Police Department, and got acquainted with the Helicopter Chief. We got to talking one day, and I found out that he was a Certified FAA Instructor. BING! the lights went on. He finally agreed to give me lessons if I could get permission from his boss, the Assistant Chief of Police, for him to give me lessons.
I got permission.
That first time up in the air in the little Cessna 120 was -- thrilling doesn't quite describe it. Almost like being a bird. As close to being a bird as I'll ever get. I still get a thrill when I remember.
One time when I was tensing up, my instructor took us out about 10 miles from the airport. He told me to take my hands off the wheel and put them in my lap. He trimmed the plane, then put his hands in his lap. I reached convulsively for the wheel, and he said "Don't!" As we were gliding in to the airport, he said "This little plane knows more about flying than you or I ever will." When we were about this = [fingers close together] close to touchdown, he allowed me to take the wheel and complete the landing.
After that flying was a cinch. Ground school was a bird of another feather. I did math I didn't know I even knew. I got through it. Passed the FAA examination and got my student pilot's license. Then. THEN. I got to take the plane out all by myself. All.By.Myself. OOh, scary the first time my instructor got out of the plane, and told me to take her up. "I'm not ready." He said if I didn't take the plane then, our lessons were over.
I did three touch and go's, and got my certificate from my instructor.
After a few more hours of flight time, we scheduled three long distance flights. Solo.
But that's another story. Each flight had its own surprise and near disaster.
And I still walk around like this [demonstrate].
Mr Toastmaster