Fear of Flying

In 1980 Boeing researchers found that 18.1% adults in the U.S. were afraid to fly, and another 12.6% experienced anxiety when they fly. In 1999, a Newsweek poll found 50% of the adults surveyed who flew commercial airlines were frightened at least sometimes. This makes sense. I am not afraid of flying, but always say a little prayer during takeoff. The fear of flying does not stem from one cause or thought. There are many phobias that stem this: fear of heights, fear of the dark, fear of being enclosed in a crowded space, and loss of control are a few. There are as many manifestations of this fear (excessive sweating, nausea, panic attacks) as there are ways of coping (drinking, sleeping pills, audio/video desensitization) and professional advice (‘face the fear’, hypnosis, meditation). I have been unable to find statistics on the fear of writing, and yet I know it to be real based on the numerous articles and books written on writer’s block, and the many blogs and websites I have visited where other writers have been brave enough to not only write in general (gulp!) but write about their own fears and procrastinations. I also know it to be real because I have spent countless hours justifying my avoiding writing (I am not putting it off, I already get paid to write all day for a computer company), or busying myself with tasks “around writing” (contemplating what to call my website and blog, what my book jacket will look like, what image to use on my business cards). This phobia stems from many causes as well: fear of success, fear of failure, fear of lack of money, and some of the same ones listed above (loss of control…). The coping mechanisms are also similar (excessive television watching, reading).

When my husband came up with a title that would serve as the creative “face” for my writing endeavors, it meant I could move on to the actual writing. ‘Ninety Words’ had a nice look and sound and some significance: it takes 90 days to shake a bad habit; in 90 days, five major engagements during World War II turned the Axis powers around and gave the Allies the upper hand; 90 is a unitary perfect number, it is the latitude for both the North and South Poles, and all Major League baseball bases are 90 feet apart. And 1990 was the year my husband and I met. Okay, none of this is really important (except for the year we met), but that a nom de blog (and website, etc.) frees me to use what creativity remains to tackle the fears of putting words in front of my fellow man–words I want to share about the things in which I truly care (check future blogs and upcoming articles for more on this). And, while this initial jump into the deep end of the pool has been more than ninety words (you were counting, weren’t you?), I am hoping to keep it brief in future postings and keep posting and posting. Consider it my own home remedy for fear of writing: Writing.