Wrong Conversation

Although I'm not usually a nervous passenger, I became very frightened on a small commuter plane. A storm raged with sheets of rain and gale-force winds. Our first takeoff attempt was aborted because of engine trouble. We taxied back to the hangar, changed planes and then sat on the runway awaiting takeoff clearance.

I remembered learning in psychology class that one method for decreasing stress and anxiety is to engage in conversations, so I turned to the man sitting next to me. "What do you do for a living?" I asked.