I thought I was succeeding in keeping my uneasiness to myself, quietly counting the time until touch down. However, when the passenger ahead of me reclines the seat almost into my nose, I toy with the idea of opening, then slamming my tray table shut in exasperation. But that will not get me an inch more space, and my daughter is watching my reaction. As we level off, my legs soon begin to throb from their restricted positions and my back commences to grouch about the stiff narrow seat. Reaching for a book hurts.
Economy does have some hidden costs.
If it is a smooth flight, my panic subsides, but not the truth that I am not in control. When turbulence develops, I do remember to breathe and then close my eyes. God alone can lift the plane over the clouds and winds that shake it. Thoughts of the eternal remain my traveling companions. As the engines decelerate and the plane gradually begins its descent, the emotion of powerlessness again swells.