A dream coming true.

Sure, it’s cliche, but damn it’s the truth.

I’m a commercial helicopter pilot.  Passed my checkride yesterday. 

It’s actually kinda hard to believe.

I’ve achieved the greater part of something I’ve been wanting since I lived in Springfield, MO with my friends Jay and Pattie, almost eight years ago.  That was when I had a chat with my dad about my future and how I should go about making sure I could be happy and satisfied with my life.  Y’know, that whole thing of “you’re 24 now, so what’re gonna do with your life?” 

 There were two things he said then that stuck really hard.  One was while I was talking about how I wasn’t all that worried about income.  Any time I wanted I could find a job in a warehouse and be a manager there in no time.  And he said, “Yeah, true.  So are you gonna be happy as a warehouse manager when you’re forty years old?”  Okay, then.  The second thing he said was something to the effect of, “You wanna be happy in twenty years?  Find something you love to do, and figure out how to get paid for it.  I don’t care what it is, just figure it out.”  

Right.  Gotcha.  Umm… 

Gee, I’d love to get paid to fly a helicopter. 

And there it was.  I’d never been in a helicopter, but I’d flown several times and always, always took the window seat.  And helicopters were just so cool.  The research began.  I found out there are no quality flight schools anywhere in the midwest.  I’d have to move away???   Fuck.  I found out how expensive the training was to become a commercial helicopter pilot.  Fuuuck!  Hello, Coast Guard?  My eyes aren’t good enough, no surprise. 

So, five years go by.  I moved back to KC to work at my old job at, you got it, a warehouse.  The whole time thinking how cool it would be to be a pilot, and not doing much about it because just getting the education seemed such a daunting task.  

   

Then I meet this girl.     

 

I tell her about wanting to be a pilot, but it’s so expensive, I’d have to move, excuse, rationalize, justify, etc….

Our first christmas together she tracked down a local pilot and bought me a helicopter ride.  Good lord.  I couldn’t believe it.  Here’s this woman saying,  “Screw the excuses. This is your dream, and you haven’t done anything about it.  Now I’m here to love you and help you finally get to that dream.  So let’s do this.” 

Is it any surprise I married this girl? 

And here we are.  We uprooted our life and left family and friends and familiarity behind, and moved halfway across the country to pursue a goal I didn’t think was within my grasp.  This is something I’d never have the courage to do alone. 

I am a very lucky man.  If there’s any doubt, read this.

Thank you, baby.