| Looking down from a plane over the Midwest is a | | | | masses are. Then every time I am down here on |
| renewal of a geography lesson. Okay, now I am | | | | the ground, unless I am in a wide open space like |
| going to sound like Andy Rooney, but I have to | | | | the Southwest or the flatlands of the Midwest I |
| say it. Have you ever noticed ("don't forget the lilt | | | | see the middle, but not the outlines, unlike I do |
| in the voice, to enjoy the full flavor") when you're | | | | from the sky. |
| up in the wide blue yonder, albeit not too high, but | | | | When I do fly I usually want the window seat, |
| high enough that the ground looks like a map | | | | not necessarily for the geography lesson, but just |
| from grade school? I have noticed it but never | | | | to look out the window. It's fun, but it's also scary |
| commented to anyone about. It gets me every | | | | for me, because I am afraid of heights. I must |
| time I see it. Do you remember those little | | | | say, though I love flying. I have never had a bad |
| squares that you either used to color in while in | | | | flight, unlike my cousin who always does and I |
| grade school or you might have even had a map | | | | don't think I shall either. Take-offs more than |
| puzzle of the vegetation vs. the dirt or even the | | | | landings scare me, I'll admit it. I usually say a |
| water masses for your state, region or the entire | | | | couple of prayers before and during take-off, as |
| United States? When I travel, as I did today, I | | | | well as chew gum ferociously. About that gum |
| always think when I look out of the window and | | | | chewing at take-offs and landings I get that, but |
| down how wonderfully symmetrical all the land | | | | really does it work? |