My 2024 word is FEARLESS.
Buckle up folks, this will be quite a journey! I may or may not share some details of my " fearless" adventures when I was a student at West Liberty University {protecting the names of the guilty, of course}
My intention is to really live into this personality trait... to work towards re-engagement fully in life.
For instance, I have not flown on an airplane since 2018.
2019 was Cancer Year for Brian, so I had to stay close to home {I don't think we traveled anywhere that awful year} Procedures, appointments, radiation and chemo shots ruled that year.
We had some big travel adventures for 2020, but... yup the pandemic came and grounded many people. My dear paternal grandmother died in December of that year, and COVID, and keeping Brian safe, took precedence over funeral travel. A cousin was kind enough to ZOOM the funeral, so we could virtually attend, but it was not the same.
All this to say, I am leaning into the fearlessness of 2024 and booking a flight to Pittsburgh for my birthday weekend in May.
This will be a short visit--- only three full days in the area. I'll mostly be with my Lake family--- people who are not relatives but, in many ways, more " family" than some of my blood kin.
Covid, and the political scheme of this nation, have taught me who really is family. Real family members do not let things like partisanship ruin relationships. I've been on the receiving end of such no-contact from some people who I thought of as family and it hurt for a long time. Now I just quote my middle school student: " It's Whatev! "
I've never been a good air traveler. Even before COVID, I hated sharing recycled air with strangers for more than an hour. I'm also claustrophobic, so plane rides give me anxiety. Making connections in Atlanta has always been a crapshoot-- but I do seem to be luckier with a Charlotte connection.
Then there is the issue of checking bags. Since I need more shampoo than a travel size, I must pay the airline more money for the privilege of stowing my suitcase below deck.
Then there is the issue of my bionic spine... I set off the alarms every time that I pass through the metal detector. This means that I am subjected to a pat down from strangers. Neurodivergent people will understand how much this is slight torture from someone who detests strangers invading her personal space.
Honestly, people... I could not hide a " piece" on my skinny body if I'd wanted to do so. Ther is no need to stare at my surgical scars to prove I am not carrying a weapon.
All this to say is that I am embracing fearlessness and getting on that plane in May to see some of my people. Covid and " handsy" TSA agents be damned! I'm also not obligated to visit anyone, so I'll stick with the folks who have stuck with me!
Onward...
~Sarahbeth McCarren
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