Andrew & Esther - Through Our Eyes Archive
Our Thoughts

February 15, 2006
Peanuts and Airplanes
I sat by a girl recently on an airplane who was covering her mouth and nose with her shirt. She was not a happy camper…so I asked what was wrong. Did I have B.O. or something?

With great frustration she told me how she was allergic to peanuts…and every time airlines passed out bags of peanuts she began to get sick from the peanut dust in the air. Hearing this, I recognized how fortunate I was to even get a response from her, since she had just recklessly exposed herself to the poisonous peanut dust air to explain this to me. I don’t think this girl really enjoyed air travel.

And she’s not alone. A lot of people complain about air travel. They hate airplanes…airports…bags of peanuts and crowds of people.

But I love it. Airports…airplanes…everything. People on the move. A hunk of steel lifting off the ground. The hum of the jet engines. Staring out the window. Even the plain bags of peanuts (Although I prefer honey roasted). I’m like a kid in a candy shop.

Maybe it has something to do with nostalgia. From age 13 to 16 I spent a few weeks of the summer learning how to fly my grandfather’s little two-seater airplane (photo at left). We flew off grass runways in the midst of cornfields in rural Illinois. I ended up getting my student pilot’s license after a few solo flights. But then money ran out…

So for now I settle for flying as a passenger.

But I still love it. At its core, there’s something about movement…going somewhere…that seems to be life-giving to me. Perhaps it’s because I’m terrified of stagnation and routine.

Or maybe I just love peanuts.

Whatever the reasons may be, I love to fly. So feel free to gift any frequent flyer miles or vouchers you may have to me. And the next time you fly…remember to be sensitive about adding more peanut dust to the air. Your little bag of peanuts may just kill someone.