I'm linking these from Facebook, so tell me if they don't work...

Wooded area out west of Winston-Salem


More of the same. My state is beautiful.


Around the same area.


The left-hand side of the instrument panel. For now, dad flies from the left seat. When he starts giving me traditional instruction, I'll be on the left, and he'll ride on the right. They don't have duplicate instruments on this airplane on the right.


My view out the front.


Ray-Bans at altitude? Yep. Oh, by the way, I'm happy here.


View out of the left side, coming back towards Winston.


That's the airport.


Kind of on the base leg.


Base leg.


Turning onto final over Wake Forest University. Or part of it anyhow.


And that's all for now. I've got a video of the landing that I'm figuring out how to embed.

Now I have to silence the butterflies and nuclear bombs in my stomach and go call Northwest.

Most of you have read my bit about the job at the airport today. Today has truly been a wretched turn of events. If you've read that post, you've read the bit about me not wanting to make that phone call today.

Tonight, dad and I were walking. I've been in a disagreeable mood all day, and he decides to bring up my alcoholic ex-best friend. I said "you're a real winner at picking topics". Eventually, Northwest comes up, and I say that (in context that I would, but) I don't want to make that phone call tomorrow, but I don't know why. He says some things, and I try to say something and trail off...

Then he almost shouts "you're giving up! Never give up." At this point a plane flies over, and he sees me looking at it, and he says "You want to do that? Don't give up. If I'd given up the first time I was said no to, where would I be?"

I look at him and say "Where did that come from? All these years.... nevermind"

I wanted to say, "All these years, all I ever wanted to hear you say was 'never give up'." When they told me I had asthma, and I found out I could never get into the Air Force, and thus never get into NASA, I wanted to hear him say "Never give up." When they told me I had monocular diplopia, and my chances of flying were that much thinner, I wanted to hear him say "never give up". All those nights we took walks and talked about my dreams, I wanted to hear him tell me he believed in me, to hear him say "never give up". When I came home from my audition at the UNCG School of Music and said "I feel like I just sold my soul to the devil", I wanted him to look at me and say "never give up".

But he never did.

My friends said it, instead. My heros said it through their lives. The one person who never did, picks tonight to say it. He waits until I'm almost 20 to say it. Ordinarily, it would've been very uplifting to me. In time, it probably will be. I will probably never forget it.

But I can't help wondering, why now? Why did it take this long? Why didn't he say it earlier, when it counted? When it could've changed things?

I know this is a double negative, but I will never not say to my future children "never give up". I will let them know that I believe in them, that they can do it.