Fear Of Flying (IP)

“Fear of flying is nothing to be embarrassed about, Mr Hawkman”, said Dr Goodwin, glancing down at his patients medical files, “It’s a very common fear”.

“I don’t think so, Doctor”, said Hawkman, “Not the kind of fear of flying that I have”.

“Nonsense!”, said Doctor Goodwin, dismissively, closing his patients file and opening a black notebook, “For example, do you suffer from a fear of heights? Enclosed spaces? Are you afraid that the plane will crash or that perhaps there are terrorists on board the plane with bombs? When there is a bit of turbulence on a flight, do you experience nausea or stress? Or when you pass over the sea or a patch of water do you look down and worry about crashing in the water? If you hear the plane make a strange noise does it worry you or make you assume that something has gone wrong with the plane? Does any of that sound familiar?”.

“No Doctor”, said Mr Hawkman, “And I was afraid that, when I made an appointment to see you, this was just the kind of thing you were going to say to me”.

“Alright”, said Dr Goodwin, starting to raise his voice as if slightly annoyed by the stubbornness of the man infront of him, “What is so peculiar about your fear?”.

“Well. To start with”, said Mr Hawkman, “I don’t experience any of the things you describe. Not claustrophobia or vertigo or any of that. For me, it’s not the flying itself that’s the problem but where I’m flying to and what I have to do when I get there”.

“Where are you flying to? And for what reason? You have to be specific. You know, I can’t help someone unless they are prepared to be open with me”, said the Doctor.

“Helping people. That’s what I do”, said Hawkman, ” Only I’m not as picky as you about who I help. But I can’t be more specific, Doctor. You’d understand why if you knew the job that I do, why I have to be secretive. But, anyway, you hit the nail on the head when you talked about helping people. That’s what I do, on a daily basis but I’m afraid that maybe I won’t be able to help them, when I get to them”.

“Alright”, said Doctor Goodwin, taking over, “So you’re afraid of failure. That’s not so uncommon. I take it that you have some sort of high pressure job and there is lots of responsibility involved and it sounds to me that you have that defeatist sort of attitude commonly associated with a fear of failing. You lack motivation. You don’t see the point of trying because you think that you’re just going to fail”.

“No. I don’t think it’s that either”, said Hawkman, “It’s more that the consequences of my failing could be so disastrous, so catastrophic that I dare not risk failing. People who have all their hopes pinned upon me; whose lives and the lives of their children depend upon me could be let down by me or could even die if I fail and could I bare to live with that on my conscience?”.

“I’m sorry”, said Dr Goodwin, shaking his head and becoming frustrated, “But I can’t help you and I don’t think anyone else can either if you have this defensive attitude and start dismissing every diagnosis that I make”.

“That’s it!”, said Hawkman, “You’ve cracked it doctor!”.

“I have?”, asked Goodwin, bemused.

“Yes! Like you said. “No one else can help” I may fail but I’m their only hope. If I don’t take the risk, who else will? I have to take the risk. I have to!”, said Mr Hawkman, happily.

“So you're telling me you're cured?”, asked the Doctor, sceptically, “That you’re not afraid of flying anymore?”

“Afraid of flying?”, laughed Mr Hawkman, “Me? Just watch this!” and suddenly Mr Hawkman stood up and, at first, Doctor Goodwin thought that Hawkman was about to have a hysterical episode, like ones he had read about in textbooks, but instead Hawkman just spread his arms out wide and, to Doctor Goodwin’s amazement, started to rise off of the ground.

“Wherever there are people in trouble! People who need my help! Let them not despair! For I
am Hawk – Man!”, he proclaimed, opening a window in Dr Goodwins office before flying off into the sky.

“I’m having a psychotic break”, said Dr Goodwin, analysing himself as he stared at the man smiling and waving to him from high in the air, “I must be”.