As a young girl, I was drawn to the life of a flight attendant,
daydreaming of fancy flights around the world, meeting people from exotic places. I believed it was loads of fun but as
I grew older, I realized it was the thrill of flying that was the real appeal, not working the friendly skies.
But I salute those who do this tough, glamourless job.
Laura Brandle (who we learned about
from World
Hum) has been at it for 38 years! Impressive, especially in this age of terrorism, security checks and bankrupt
airlines. I can’t imagine being able to stay dedicated to this type of work for so long, especially with the
ever-increasing health and safety concerns.
At least today’s flight attendants don’t have to deal with smoking on board. (If they started working post the smoke
ban, that is.) Take a look at the stories of these four flight
attendants, all non-smokers who have been diagnosed with smoker’s diseases as a result of exposure during flights.
These attendants would sneak sucks of oxygen while being required to hand out free cigarettes during flights, their
uniforms and yellowing hair reeking after a day of flying. After the ban, an institute dedicated specifically to
non-smoking flight attendant medical research was established. Not so glamorous at all, but as
the profession celebrates its
75th year, it is good
to see organizations like this taking care of those who served in the sky.