Who knows what the path of life will hold for us? Not even a crystal ball or fortuneteller cananswer. To get through this sometimes rough road called “life,” I havepersonally found that you must have faith in your own personal strength, pursueyour dreams hoping they will become your reality, and never give up. Dreams arewhat reality is made of.

　　At the age of 17, like many young women, I had been mesmerized on a flight to Europe by a stewardess. She looked like a goddess to me. I couldn’t take my eyes off her as she walked through the cabin performing her duties, impeccablydressed, coiffed, and manicured. My stay in Europe was for three weeks and allI could think about was the flight home watching another stewardess inaction.

　　At the age of 19 I was in my second year ofcollege and not sure what my major should really be. All along I had in theback of my mind the desire to be just like the stewardess I had observed twoyears prior.

　　I decided to embark othe application process to the airlines. I pursued this painstaking process for three years, and back then there were no computers, no email, and all forms were obtained by hand-typed letters and the snail mail service.

　　To my surprise I received five requests to beinterviewed.

　　I was well versed in every airline I undertook, their stewardesscolors, their routes, etc. I made sure, when presenting myself at aninterview, I was dressed in their colors to look as close to being one of theirown.

　　Letter after letter of rejections came to mymailbox. Year after year I continued my pursuit until I finally realized Imust lack something that prevented my acceptance.

　　This was a devastating reality. I stopped sending out applicationsand pushed my deepest desire, my passion, deep down inside me and went on withwhat life was to bring to me without the airlines.

　　My future careers, from the age of 21 through50, all related to customer service. Whether I was a receptionist or in management, I alwaysdealt with the public. During this time period, I got my three boys and laterdivorced.

　　Life was hard – I was financially devastated, overwhelmed with massive responsibilities. I reminded myself every morning to keep my faith in myself – that I could be successful in anything I pursued – but the reality of my suppressed desire to fly was still everpresent.

　　Unfortunately my responsibilities as a mothercame first, not what I personally wanted to fulfill formyself. My three sons WERE my life, and so it went on.

　　Eventually, my first two sons had leftfor college. When my third son was approaching high schoolgraduation, in the spring of 2005, I had just left a company that did notunderstand compassion for their customers.

　　In January 2005, I watched a TV program called Airline that depicted the everyday happenings of Southwest Airline’s travelers. Theyprofiled a flight attendant (not “stewardess” anymore),  a 50-year-oldwidow living alone as all her children were grown and had left home. She saidshe loved working with people and needed to get out of the house.

　　She said she had seen an advertisement for a Southwest Airline open house for flight attendants. She decided to attend and see what the position entailed. After going through the extensive application process, to her surprise, she was hired and sent to training. Because of her exuberance and excitement for the job, I realized thatshe was the same age as I was and if she could get in, so could I! And so itbegan again.

　　It took three months for the locally basedairline to have an open house in my area but I was ready to go. This open housetook two hours, and no matter what they said about any of the “torture” I wouldexperience performing this job, I didn’t care. I knew from the time I decidedto go to the open house that I was going to be a flight attendant. I knew Iwouldn’t fail and this was it.

　　Two days later, I received a call for a secondinterview.

　　One week later, I was back doing the infamous “airline interview,” but I wasn’t nervous

this time. I knew the path I had traveled through life had prepared me for this endeavor.

　　My final phone call came the next morning at 9a.m. This was the end of March 2005, and I was in training in Memphis,Tennessee, the next week.

　　Enduring a three week training program, which included a massive amount of studying, evacuations, testing, and watching fellow classmates being sent home one by one, kept my emotions strung out so tight I felt like a rubber band ready to snap. But despite all of this, aspecial bond was created between those who survived that torture.

　　While in training, on April 26th, I turned 51and on April 27th, I took my final exam – in uniform – and passed.

　　Graduation was a very special event. The moment my flight wings were presented to me, all I could think about was how hard I’d workedfor 30 years to be able to have these wings. I realized that the mottos I hadlived by my entire life had served me well.

　　I am still a flight attendant today and have been enjoying every minute for the past 5 years. I realize that I made the right choice by leaving a job I hated with a passion to pursue a “last” career that would fulfill me, and I could say I truly loved –besides, I won the uniform I had been waiting a lifetime to wear.