Ever since coming out of the womb, I’ve been full of energy and hyperactivity. It was never addressed medically, which I’m grateful for because medication probably wouldn’t have been a good solution for me, given my tendency to overdo. Because it’s impossible for me to sit still for any length of time, “going outside” has always been where I gravitated, but even there I have to be doing something besides just sitting.
Wind is an almost-daily consideration here in Rockport as it was the five winters we spent in Bandera, so it just seemed natural to get a kite. I love flying kites!! I’ve gotten hooked on it, especially the rush I get when the wind grasps the kite and the challenge to keep it aloft begins. It’s a safe, healthy and inexpensive form of entertainment (my cheapest kite was $5 and the last recent one cost $20), it’s a solitary endeavor, and there’s no limit to how long or short of a time you can have fun doing it
I am blown away (no pun intended) by the lessons kite flying teaches. For one thing, I have to pay close attention while I’m doing it, something that’s a challenge all its own. The wind can be so fluky, I can’t take my eyes off the kite lest it take off erratically or worse yet, suddenly nosedive and crash. The reel always needs to be held firmly and the length of the string constantly monitored (hopefully without cutting my finger): more line because of a wind gust, and other times reeled in some line because the winds have died down. While doing that, I still have to be aware of obstacles, and they’re all about—telephone lines, tree branches, other kites being flown, obstacles on the ground around me that I could run into or trip over. The list goes on. And I love everything about it.
Sometimes I feel childish for getting a kick out of something so simple, but such is the pleasure of the little things in life. I’m grateful for simple things that bring me joy.
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit. ~John 3:8
