Well, here I am sat back in an office working as a P.A. once again. It's a while since I've been on this forum but I do like to take a peek and giggle at the experiences of life as cabin crew. You see, this time last year I was working as crew and had been for a couple of years. It was my lifelong dream and it took me four years of trying to finally achieve that dream. I absolutely loved my job and thought I would continue my career and become a Senior, perhaps one day a trainer. But alas, it was not meant to be. On a flight one day I badly hurt my back pushing a cart which brakes were stuck and had been hauling it up and down all flight. The next day I couldn't move to get out of bed and as it turned out at the grand old age of 28 had slipped a disc. Was in extraordinary pain and incapacitated for some time. After being signed off sick for 5 weeks and being advised by the doctor that if i continued with this type of work I would only aggravate the injury and continue to have problems with my back I had to take the dififcult decision of resigning. That was in Sept last year. I went back to my old profession of being a P.A. and have been temping since then.
I'm finding it very difficult to be back in a 9-5 office environment and spend a long time gazing out of the window and up at the sky. My house is situated in the flight path to the airport so I have lots of lowflying aircraft going overhead and always think of the girls and boys on board and wish them a safe journey home.
Handing back my uniform was one of the hardest things I've had to do - but I kept my wings. It's all I can do to keep from wearing them during the day, shining bright on my civvies. In each temp job I go to people see cabin crew on my cv and on my first day they take great delight in doing a mock impression of a safety demo 'the toilets and exits are here, here and here' Yes, it was funny the first twenty times, but now it's wearing a bit thin. I had to wear bright red lippy as part of my uniform and on occasion have tried to wear it civvies which only prompted my boyfriend to say 'you look weird'.
I've put on weight (regular sleep, regular proper meals - although i still eat my meals at lightening speed), although my skin is clear and I've been able to colour my hair and have it cut in a style I wouldn't have been allowed.
I just wanted to say hi and tell you all how lucky you are to be able to do a job that I know you love. otherwise why would we do it? I had the best office window in the world when I was flying, now I am back to the days when I look up at the clouds and dream.......
Safe flying to you all.......remember even on those earlies and the bad days just how very lucky you are.
