Kite running 101
I don’t remember much about the shape or size of the kite; whether it was triangular, or box shaped, store bought or made from scratch.
What I do remember is being instructed by Dad to place the kite several yards from where I planned my takeoff, give myself plenty of string, and to begin running.
There was something thrilling about feeling the slight breeze catch the kite, allowing it to dance in a zigzag pattern with the tail fluttering playfully.
Crash landing
Problem was the capricious nature of the wind was such that it suddenly died down, sending my kite crashing to the ground. I attempted replicate the initial thrill but failed to keep the kite in the air for more than a few seconds at a time.
When it plummeted to the ground for the third or fourth time it seemed to look back at me as if to say ‘I’m done for the day’.
Dad to the rescue
Dad must have noticed my crestfallen demeanor because he rushed to console me, telling me I did fine for the first time out.
He went on to tell me that there were these brothers called Wright who weren’t successful when they attempted to launch their first plane into the heavens.
A timeless message
Dad said despite the initial failures, they didn’t give up. It was their curiosity, imagination and inventive spirit that made them want to keep trying, he said.
He looked skyward and said the planes we see today are because the Wright Brothers and others never lost their curiosity or inventive spirit when their experiments failed. They believed in themselves when others didn’t.
Food for thought
I felt like I’d been presented a sumptuous meal too large to digest in one sitting. I would have to take it in one spoonful of wisdom at a time.
Much later I wondered if I could experiment with words until they formed a sentence that looked like my own invention. I would persevere until I came up with something I was proud of. And maybe the sentences that shone could become essays, short stories and novels.
Happy Father’s Day!
Bill Heitland is the author of three books: Adversity’s Early Light, Chance Evers and Two for the Seesaw
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