Navigating Parenthood, Aliens, and Apologies: My Conversation with a Pilot

This was from around 3 years ago:

I sat down with my brother, Ryan—an Air Force Reserve pilot and a commercial airline pilot—to talk about life, space, and family. For those who think the pilot's life is intensely glamorous, allow me to burst that myth: he mainly trades epic world travel for "slam-clicker" hotel nights spent gaming on his Xbox. Apparently, steering high-speed tubes through the sky just isn't enough excitement on its own.

Rebrand, Babies, and Beard-Spray Mishaps

Before diving into cosmic mysteries and parental wisdom, I had to share a recent comedic detour: a beard-care brand sent me a gift box, and I tried to record a snazzy unboxing video. My big moment of self-care turned into squirting beard conditioner straight into my eye. If that's not next-level content creation, I don't know what is. But hey, I've faced bigger dilemmas—like trying to remember the last time I slept more than four consecutive hours since the baby arrived.

Not only am I working on regaining my vision after that little mishap (kidding—my eyesight survived), I'm also learning to juggle new dad duties. Let's just say I'm quickly finding out that a baby's sense of timing—crying precisely when you're in the middle of a pressing task—is operating at expert level. At least I can still give him a pep talk once I soothe him, or so I'd like to believe.

Flying High and Down-to-Earth Realities

Ryan has a foot in two distinct aviation worlds: the Air Force and commercial airlines. On the Air Force side, he highlights how crews might grab an occasional outing together. On the commercial side, many pilots prefer "slam-clicking"—slamming the hotel door and clicking it locked for solo downtime. He jokes that it's perfect for his personal style: after hours of flying, some peace, quiet, and maybe a bag of popcorn are all the runway he needs.

He's also had a taste of the less-than-glamorous side of the pilot life: recovering from injuries. One Achilles tendon mishap took him out of the cockpit for months. Watching him deal with that challenge reminded me that physical setbacks can weigh down your spirit just as hard as they do your body. It's a huge test of patience and vulnerability when you're sidelined from the career you love—especially when your career literally involves flying.

Parenting: Apologies, Accountability & "My Bad, Kid"

One of the conversation highlights was parenting—and being humble enough to say "sorry" to your children. As a new dad, I'm determined to extend a genuine apology (preferably without a drum roll of guilt) whenever I mess up. Ryan recalled a moment when he punished his son for stomping his feet, even though stomping feet was exactly what they'd advised him to do to handle anger. Realizing that slip-up, he apologized and admitted he was still learning how to parent.

That concept of telling our kids "I'm human, I don't always get it right" is huge. When you own up to mistakes, your children realize that they don't have to chase 'perfect role models'—they just have to aim for honesty and growth. Let's not pretend we all have it figured out. If NASA scientists are still investigating mysteries of the universe, I'd say we can forgive ourselves for occasionally sending mixed signals to our offspring.

Debating the Cosmos: Aliens, Infinite Space & Fifth Dimensions

Yes, we pivoted from diaper duty to the vastness of the cosmos in the blink of an eye. Ryan's been fascinated with astronomy ever since dad introduced him to telescopes and we once glimpsed spectacular comets in the night sky. Now, he ponders black holes, cosmic expansions, and the potential for extra-terrestrial life. Considering the universe is unimaginably huge, we're both pretty convinced intelligent life exists somewhere out there.

I mean, there are trillions upon trillions of stars, far more than the number of times my toddler has woken me up at night. If other civilizations can zip around at warp speed, maybe they'll stumble upon us—hopefully armed with empathy, not lasers. Plus, we toyed with the concept of time as a dimension. Could advanced beings move through time the way we walk around a living room? It sure makes scrolling Instagram at 2 a.m. look super basic.

Sibling Fights, Compassion & The "Villain" Perspective

Then, there's the growing up part—namely, how my brothers and I sparred six days a week. We realize now those brawls were basically child-level board meetings on conflict resolution. Even though we didn't see it that way at the time, they taught us the hard lessons of empathy (mixed with a few wrestling moves).

Ryan shared that nothing feels worse as a parent than watching your own kids mimic that same sibling tension. It's a beautiful reminder that we've come full circle, and maybe payback is real. But who knows—maybe all those years of sibling rivalry gave us the comedic timing that led to these entertaining conversations.

Final Reflections: Kindness, Curiosity & Owning Our Mistakes

The biggest takeaways from chatting with my brother? First, let's treat each other kindly, whether we're raising kids, flying airplanes, or just unraveling the secrets of the universe. None of us truly knows what someone else is going through. Second, it's okay to own our mistakes, whether we're apologizing to a toddler about a goofy stomp-your-feet rule or reminding an airline passenger that we genuinely do feel sorry for the inconvenience.

Finally—and perhaps most importantly—nurture your curiosity. Let your mind wander across galaxies, meditate on the idea of alien life, or read up on the wonders of quantum physics. Even if that cosmic wonder makes your head spin, it might just give you fresh perspective on everyday life— where you can learn that a heartfelt "my bad, kid" goes a long way on Earth.

Thanks for following along on this otherworldly ride. If you found laughter, a spark of insight, or a renewed desire to stargaze, I consider this mission accomplished. Until next time, I'll be over here trying to master early morning workouts and maybe—just maybe—hitting the record button before I spray beard tonic in my eye again.

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