Culture is a funny thing. Over the years, I have lived in several countries and visited many others, with still more on the want-to-see list. When you are in a new place, it’s pretty easy to see (if not always to understand) cultural differences. Getting a clear view of your own culture is more difficult, perhaps because — as the saying goes — it’s a bit like a fish trying to perceive water. Accustomed as we are to what we routinely experience, we can be oddly obliv­ious to quirks and characteristics that are immedi­ately obvious to a newcomer. 

The quirks and characteristics of our overall culture, perhaps magnified in the Type-Triple-A pilot culture, include a mission- and action-focused “value” calling us to constantly be more, to do more, and to have more. Always striving for “more” with no obvious way of gauging the achievement of “enough” can be exhausting. That may be why there seems to be a sudden surge in articles, books, and TV shows with titles that tout terms like “essentialism” and “minimalism.” Japanese tidying expert Marie Kondo promotes limiting things and, implicitly, activities to those that “spark joy.” The New York Times recently joined the party with Olga Mecking’s April 29 article on “The Case for Doing Nothing.” As Mecking puts it: 

Being busy — even if we are busy — is rarely the status indicator we’ve come to believe it is…instances of burnout, anxiety disorders, and stress-related diseases are on the rise. (…) Our culture does not promote sitting still, and that can have wide-reaching consequences for our mental health, well-being, pro­ductivity, and other areas of our lives. 

The Discipline of Distillation 

I can relate to that, and I imagine that many of you can as well. For a long time, I didn’t really see it. As for sitting still … are you kidding me?! 

But the universe has a way of getting your attention if you aren’t otherwise getting the message. Suffice it to say that several events over the past year motivated me to reassess key aspects of my life and start recalibrating for a better and healthier balance. That has meant distilling a fairly wide range of things, activities, and circum­stances to what is really essential, to what truly sparks joy. Of these, the most significant adjustment was moving permanently to Arizona during the spring, becoming a full-time member of the “distrib­uted workforce.” 

While positive overall, this change required another, less happy adjustment: saying goodbye to my northern Virginia flying club and the C182 Sky­laneI have loved and flown for more than a quarter century now (gulp). It is strange and disconcerting to find myself bereft of a familiar and steady mount for aerial joyriding. Though I am still immersed in unpacking and resettling at the time of this writing, it also makes me antsy that I don’t yet have a good fix on when, or where, or what I will next be flying. 

What I am endeavoring to do, though, is to use this somewhat unavoidable waiting period to strengthen and rebalance my personal safety culture. For ages now, I’ve had a list of aviation safety topics that I’ve wanted to study or review more carefully. My beau and I have talked about getting our glider ratings, and Arizona offers lots of opportunities for that particular pursuit. Because I have given myself a one-year moratorium on extracurricular activities (another discipline of distillation exercise!), I should also have the time to do such things. 

It may not yet be the season of waiting and rebalancing for you but, as the lyrics to Taylor Swift’s new song go, “you’re the only one of you.” So take it from me, and take good care of you. FAA Safety Briefing – JulAug 2019)