Try Shutting Down and Restarting

I'm on a plane with my mother heading to Mexico. I'm always nervous at the beginning of a flight. Actually, I am terrified of flying.

So, when the captain gets on the speaker and says...

"Sorry about the wait folks. We have an engine that doesn't seem to be working. We've called the technician for some assistance. We hope to have you in the air shortly"

....I freak out a bit.

Now, even if the engine gets fixed, I'm going to be terrified the entire flight. Who's to say the engine won't stop working again mid-flight. Can a person get off a plane after it's already been loaded? Is that a thing that I can do? Will I get a refund? I'm freaking out. No one else is freaking out, at least not visibly. I mean my mom is freaking out, but that was pretty much a given anyway.

I spend the next 30 minutes going back and forth about whether to get off the plane. I just don't think I'll get a refund. Boy, I'm cheap, I won't get off a plane to save my life because I'm worried about not getting my money back. I get that from my mother too.

The captain comes back on......

"Okay folks. We just got off the phone with the technicians and they said to turn the plane off and try starting it again. We're going to try that now and hopefully we will have you up in the air soon."

.....WHAT?!?

I'm confused. I think the captain is confused. I think he might have called the wrong number. "Do you think he called the IT Tech Support number by mistake?" I ask my mom. She gives me a very nervous chuckle. I'm not making a joke. I'm serious. He definitely called the wrong number.

I must be in some kind of nightmare. I think that's what's happening here. Should I forfeit the money for the plane ticket and just get off the plane? They already closed the plane door and everything. I spend the next 15 minutes thinking about what I should reflect on in the last few minutes of my life. Happy memories, thoughts of my kids, my husband, my friends and family. Boy though, it is hard to focus when you think you're about to die. I want to focus on my kids, but I keep thinking about this captain and what the heck is happening in that cockpit! Should I try to reach out to my husband to let him know that I love him and say good-bye to my kids?

"Good news folks. Shutting the plane down and restarting worked so we will have you up in the air shortly and get you on your way to Mexico."

Yeah, this is definitely the end. No doubt about it. We make it up in the air and as soon as I can, I message my husband a long note about how I love him and the kids. You know, just in case.

EPILOGUE:

I never flew again without Xanax. I don't know what I ever did without it. Oh wait, I just told you. I terrorized myself with constant thoughts of death at any minute.

Yay, I don't miss that.