Dear passengers on the flight from KCI to Newark last Wednesday night,
I am sorry about my son’s tantrum. He hadn’t had a chance to run around in days and he just wanted to get down. Also, his ears hurt because we kept circling. But contrary to what those two little bitches young women in front of me believed, the tears streaming down my face were not because my toddler kept head-butting me. And screaming. And kicking.
Tantrums don’t make me cry. They really don’t. But we had just spent ten days with my in-laws, conserving water and not having internet access and I just wanted to GO HOME. Instead, the plane was circling. But that wouldn’t normally make me cry either. Even the horrible PMS I was having wouldn’t make me cry in public.
It was (what felt like) the hot knives piercing my skull and the nausea and dizziness that undid me. I have been in pain like that before and I have been that (or even more) nauseous and dizzy before, of course. Like during the colonoscopy where the medieval sadist of a doctor wouldn’t give me painkillers. But at least then I was not really in public, nor was I trying to control a screaming toddler, nor was I a survivor of ten days of stress, nor was I trying to continue a conversation with my three year old so that she wouldn’t feel ignored.
I am hoping that most of you didn’t even notice my tears. I didn’t make any noise while I cried, after all. You may have noticed me snapping at Hubby, who had no idea what the hell was wrong with me and was embarrassed by my tears. (In his defense, I really couldn’t explain - I was too terrified to talk, lest I throw up. He offered to change seats so he could hold Lovebug - airline policy only allowed the person in my seat to hold an infant - but I was so dizzy I was too terrified to stand up. Hubby had no way to help and no idea what was wrong with me. ) If so, don’t worry about it. Generally we are quite happy with each other and normally we’re a reasonably functional family.
Sincerely,
The lady with the puffy pink face in 11B
5 responses so far ↓
Travis Erwin // January 7, 2008 at 10:12 pm
I hate flying. Just the though of all of it make me want to cry and if you think a woman crying as her son throws a tantrum try being a big hairy guy. Talk about strange looks.
And I also get the inlaw thing. I get nauseated after about fifteen minute s with mine.
AnGlOpHiLe FoOtBaLl FaNaTiC // January 8, 2008 at 4:37 am
Oh, that sounds like pure misery. I detest flying. And, I can imagine after that trip into purgatory, you deserved to cry your eyes out.
Dory // January 8, 2008 at 4:10 pm
Oh my gosh, I totally feel you. Next time you have flying and in-laws in your schedule, ask your family doc for a few lorazepam. All they have to hear is “Flying” and “In-laws” and they will give you 10 without batting an eye.
Dory
Leslie // January 9, 2008 at 3:21 am
Ugh! The longest part of the trip is always the the way home. I give you lots of credit. Ten days with your in-laws? I won’t even do ten minutes.
Jerseygirl89 // January 10, 2008 at 3:39 am
Travis - Next time, we should fly together. That would really get people staring!
AFF - Thank you for that, I think I did too.
Dory - Is that anything like Valium? Cause I could totally do that.
Leslie - In fairness, I have to say that my in-laws are much nicer than yours sound.
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