Rushing's Ramblings

The best thing after my divorce was no longer flying in small airplanes. However, it took me a few years to recover from the fear of flying after several near-death experiences. My then-husband, Jack, thrived on high-risk experiences.  Jack enjoyed off-road motorcycle racing until he shattered his ankle after crashing off a cliff.  After graduating from law school, he still had a year or so left on the GI Bill and used it to get his pilot's license.  In exchange for providing legal assistance to a company that managed small airplanes for the owners, he could rent small aircraft anytime.  The downside of this arrangement was that we had a different plane every time, which required becoming familiar with a new aircraft each time. We flew everywhere for business and pleasure, especially since my job required travel.    One of our non-business trips was to the Indy 500.  Jack had yet to receive an instrument rating, but that didn't stop him from flying into clouds and thunderstorms

You never know who you'll encounter while waiting a couple of hours for your car to be serviced at the dealership. When you enter the waiting area, people usually sit around looking at their phones or laptops to pass the time. Conversations are getting rarer because Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter are much more fascinating than meeting someone new. I roamed the pristine halls of the brand-spanking new dealership, grabbed a latte, and guiltily ate a delicious cookie. The first hour was spent checking my emails and scrolling through Facebook, although neither was captivating. Several of the latest models were in the showroom, which meant I felt compelled to examine a particularly handsome SUV but reacted as if lightning struck me after I saw the sticker price. When did automobiles get so outlandishly expensive? When the service guy entered the waiting area to give me an update on the expected time that the repair would be completed, one of the customers, named Dayton, was li