Safe Journey: Prayers and Comfort for Frightened Flyers and Other Anxious Souls

Each time Cameron had to get on a plane, the days leading up to her flight were filled with sleeplessness and anxiety, escalating into terror as the departure time neared. Studies show that Cameron is not alone: one in three people have some fear of flying. With her familiar candor and wisdom, Cameron reveals her inner thoughts and outer actions as she prepares for a business flight and return flight a week later—during which time she gradually transforms her anxieties into ease. Realizing that her fear of flying has more to do with fear of not being in control, Cameron develops successful flying strategies and routines that a fellow passenger summarizes as “tabloids and prayer.” Prayer is her way of “asking something that you can believe in as a positive guiding force for optimism and guidance;” the tabloids are for keeping herself distracted once seated on the plane. Other successful “tricks” include postponing the terror, focusing on helping others, and arriving early to ensure a calm experience and optimal seating. Such strategies seem deceptively simplistic, but by the end of this book readers are soothed and optimistic that fear of flying, or what it represents, can be managed and overcome. (Apr.)