FLYING

Kudos to the British intelligence service for hopefully thwarting another terrorist plot. Despite their good work, I guess a lot of folks will be thinking twice about flying for a while.

Although it seems uncertain when the terrorists planned to hit the US-bound flights, the fact has not been lost on me that Gill and I were scheduled to fly with BA from London to New York next Wednesday.

Would I still be flying home given yesterday's news? Absolutely!

Why? you may ask, or I'll pretend you did -

1. I reckon there is no safer time to fly than right now.

2. Terrorism is here to stay. If we let them intimidate us, they win.

3. My life is in God's hands. He knows when it will end.

4. I've got a job here and I need to do it.

Look, I've got used to having to take my suitcases over to a special area to be X-rayed; I don't mind taking my laptop out of its case as it is screened; I don't mind occasionally being asked to switch on a cell phone, camera, Ipod or whatever by a security official to prove it really is what it appears to be; I wear shoes that slip on and off easily whenever I fly because of another British would-be terrorist who found a unique hiding place for explosives; I have no problem removing my belt and I didn't complain when the powers that be confiscated the miniature Swiss army knife I used to carry on my keyring.

Terrorists have certainly made an impression.

But stop flying? Cower in a corner? Be paralyzed by fear?

In the words of my childhoos movie hero John Wayne - HELL NO!