Diet Coke and a Bag of Pretzels

In high school I went to the cafeteria every day and bought the same thing for lunch: a can of Tab and a bag of pretzel nuggets. It had nothing to do with a lack of lunch money. My mother provided me with ample funding. I ate such an unvaried lunch because that was what I craved—especially during a stressful school day: salty carbs washed down with carbonated artificially sweetened carbs. It was better than Xanax.

I do not have a fear of flying. That is the easy part of the journey. I fear missed connections, cancellations and delays. I want to leave when I want to leave and I hate giving up that control to Delta. And on Sunday, when my husband and I arrived at the terminal for our departure home we learned that our flight time was at minimum 45 minutes later than scheduled.

So my husband turned to me and said do you want to eat something in the meantime? But I was not hungry. I was still full from my buffet breakfast at the resort. But between the time delay and the overcrowding in the airport I felt a wave of anxiousness approaching. It could only be abated by one thing.

And the second that that salty fiber-free carbohydrate hit my tongue I was instantly soothed. The endorphins catapulted to an immeasurable level. And when that aspartame laced bubbly washed it down I forgot the close quarters and pulled out my book. The delay would give me more time to finish my reading. I was calm. Delta would get me home on their clock and that was fine by me. As long as I had my pretzels, my diet soda, and my book, it was no different than sitting in the Our Lady of Victory cafeteria during period 6—except for the lack of plaid uniform skirts and Pink Floyd playing on the jukebox. But even so--no Xanax was necessary.