One Way to Know...

I could spend a whole post, or even a series of post and maybe even a whole blog, talking about how you know it's love. Or how you know you've found "the one". There are countless ways to measure and evaluate this and even more details to debate on the nature of love and commitment. As fascinating as all of this is, there is one rather alarming sign of love that I have encountered recently: A new found fear of flying.

I have heard of people who developed fears out of the blue or even after a traumatic event. But developing a fear because you are in love?! That sounds like crazy talk! I have been flying for a long time and have always found the experience enjoyable, even in tiny planes. Even in planes that I happen to be jumping out of!



Yes, when I was a young Aardvark of only 18 I decided it would be
 worth while to jump out of a perfectly good Airplane



However, in recent months I have been traveling more for work. This of course involves getting on more planes. I have not had the super panicky fear of flying that some people have but I have had a certain uneasiness that is  totally new to me. I found myself counting the rows to the nearest exit and paying EXTRA attention to the safety briefs. When flying over water I found my inner lifeguard wondering who would need the most help in the event of a water-landing. Where were these rather morbid thoughts coming from!?

I spoke with my step mom about this and it turns out it is not uncommon at all! Many people develop fear of flying as a direct result of falling in love. She herself had experienced this after years of worry-free travel. It is so common in fact that there are self help books and meditation tapes about it! I don't think that I will need to go that far to remedy the problem, but it is fascinating how the human brain (and heart) work!

Like I said, there are lots of other hints that Mr. Aardvark is the one for me (he cleans my bike without me asking, he folds all the socks just because I hate doing it, I could go on and on), and I would by no means base my decision to spend the rest of our lives together on an irrational fear of flying! But it is interesting that I am not alone in this.

How did you know it was love? Did you develop any irrational fears?