Actually, I can't take credit for that line. It comes from The Unit, but I felt it sort of expressed my feelings on the subject of this post.
For any who have been reading along with my humble blog, you know that my son has been learning to fly. Things have gotten in the way of that recently, weather, my trip East and a trip to Nellis, but I was sure things would work out shortly. As I found out the week after our Vegas trip, this is not the case. My son announced that he had thought long and hard about this and though he has enjoyed learning the process of flying, he was not enjoying flying and decided not to continue to spend the money to finish getting his private pilot's license.
We had lunch with his instructor last Sunday and though the instructor and I both discussed and tried to figure out exactly why he is stopping, we both told him flat out that we did not want to force anything on him that he did not want to do. We asked if the money was an issue...No. We asked if the 2 leg flight scared him...No. We gave him our opinion that being he is just 2 flights from the license, that he might want to do it just to have it done, but no that is not what he has decided. So we gave the key to the hanger back to his instructor and said our final goodbyes. Though as the instructor mentioned, he is good for another year on his written exam, if he changes his mind and wants to pick up where he left off.
To say the least, my Husband and myself are saddened, but it's not our life. The only thing that bothers me is that I never got a chance to be in the plane when my son was flying, so though I was at the airport more hours then anyone else and listened to him talk about his lessons, I never saw it from inside the plane. I always felt that there would be time after he had his license, to do that. I guess not.
That I will always regret.
???
ReplyDeleteangel, i can understand your sadness in this because you took pride in it all and such. i was also under the impression that your son wanted to do this 200% and being so close to the license thing, i just don't get it/ having gone all this way to then suddenly quit??
and so close to the license too...
good i don't live nearby. i would have stalked your son until he'd changed his mind to go on and at least take his mom up in the skies for once, or twice, or even across the big pond to visit with me here lol.
hm. young minds never cease to amaze, right?
Hmmm, this is indeed a surprising development.
ReplyDeleteHad it been me I'm reasonably sure that I would have probably put in my time to complete the requirements before saying "I need a break" or "It turns out this isn't really something I enjoy as much as I thought I would (or did at first)."
On the other hand, though, had it REALLY been me I wouldn't have been up there in the first place! Never flown, not enamored of the concept of flying, and hope to never be in a position to be forced into it. But that's just me and I know I'm in the vast minority on that point. I'll take a ten hour drive on the highways over a one hour flight any day. Oh well.
I trust that he has his reasons and that those reasons are right for him or at least right for him at this time. But it is a shame you did not get to go up too.
WTF? I can't imagine what brought this on. I do remember being a teenager with whimsical ideas and the attention span of a gnat. I remember changing my mind and changing plans at the drop of a hat. But your son is much more grounded and responsible than I ever was. I am so surprised by this turn. And saddened. {{{Angel}}}
ReplyDeleteThank you all for your thoughts. Of course, they totally agree with mine.
ReplyDeleteThe more I think about it, the more I think I might ask his instructor to take me up once, just to see what it was he was doing. It won't be the same...but I was planning to do something like this anyway. It's called "Right Seat" instruction. Since I now don't need this kind of instruction, it would just be a discovery flight.
Honestly, I don't even know if I would like to be in a plane like this, but I am just curious at this point. At least for 1 flight worth. :-)