Kim Wilbanks

I heard the jet engines in the distance.  By the time my brain processed the sound, I grabbed my phone to take a picture and rushed out the door, the jet was already past my house, out of range for a good photo.  It caught me by surprise once again.

Little Airport, Big Jets

I live in a small city of a little over 100,000 people between Tampa and Orlando.  We have a small airport, which is located about 4 miles from my house.  For years, its main traffic has been small, corporate jets and personal aircraft.  A couple of years ago, a small passenger jet service started and then ended within a few months.  And, during hurricane season, the hurricane hunter planes use our airport.

The only exception to this has been the annual Sun And Fun Aerospace Expo which attracts thousands of visitors every April. Then, it becomes one of the busiest airports in the country.  Our fly-in is second to the famous air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.  

Because of our proximity to the airport, I can stand in my backyard and watch the big jet shows like the Blue Angels.  Sometimes the jets circle right over our neighborhood.  Its really quite spectacular but only happens one week out of the year.  Our corgi, Higgins, hated that week but the jets don’t seem to bother our labradoodle, Boone.

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A New Jet In Town

A few months ago, Amazon started using our airport in its distribution of product.  Some of the planes that took off were very large, as large as a passenger jet.  I would hear the roar of the jet from the airport south of us then feel their power as they flew right over our house.  Sometimes the windows would rattle.  The first few weeks it happened, I would grab my phone to take a picture and rush outside.  By the time I made it outside, the jet would be well past our house.

When they flew over at night, I could look out the window and see the lights of the jets over our house.  I was more hesitant to rush outside to look after the incident where I stepped on a snake.  I don’t care to relive that experience.

A recent article in our newspaper reported that Amazon now has eight flights a day from our little airport.  The article also reported that the jets are required to fly at a low altitude until the clear the busier air space of Tampa and Orlando.  Hence, the loud jets flying overhead several times a day.

Of Jets And Empty Nests

I noticed something interesting.  At first, when I heard the jets, I was anxious to run outside and watch them.  I thought it was cool, something new and different.  Then, I would hear the jets and stop to look out the window to watch them fly over.  Lately, I have noticed that when I hear the jets, I am aware of them but continue with whatever it is I am doing.  I have become used to them.

It’s kind of like that with the empty nest.  At first, everything about the empty nest was new and different.  I was acutely aware that I was living in an empty nest.  Any reminder, a call, a text, a song on the radio would stop me in my tracks to take note.  As time went on, I grew a little more comfortable, a little less sad about living in my empty nest.  I was aware that my nest was empty but it didn’t stop me from my activities.  Maybe just a pause now and again when there was a reminder.  I think I’m at the point now where I’ve adjusted to my empty nest life, just like I’ve adjusted to the jets flying so low overhead.  Oh, sure, sometimes I get an especially loud reminder that I’m living in an empty nest but most of the time, I simply live my life with my husband and our entertaining puppy.  

I’m thankful for the growth and progress I have experienced.  It’s not what I expected but it’s what I have.  Even so, sometimes I really miss having my kids at home and sometimes the jets are a little too loud.

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