March -- Go Fly A Kite!

 

Dragonfly Kite!

        Early Spring!

Lake Mendota's ice is melting,

The sky Wisconsin blue,

Around eve's and corners of buildings,

The wind hums a kite flying tune; *

        THE IDIOM  -- "Go Fly a Kite" means; Beat it, be gone, buzz off, take a hike, shove off, get lost, run along now, scat, go take a running leap at a rolling doughnut, go jump in a lake, and just in case the person didn't get the message you could switch to Spanish with vamoose! No friends that does not reference a Spanish Moose. The idiom originated in the 1940s and represented that to "Go fly a kite" meant that the person would literally have to leave, go some place else, like outside where the wind can be found.

        Now in the year 2024 I wish to suggest that we turn this negative around so that when some one tells you, me or whom ever to "Go fly a kite", we respond with. Wow! Great idea. After all consider  that when Bre'r Rabbit got very, very angry at being snubbed by the tar baby; using his fists to elicit a response he became stuck fast to that tar baby. Bre'r Rabbit then implored the Fox who set the trap to do anything with him, but not, never-ever throw him into that briar patch. Which of course the Fox did. Now you my friend might be saying; "Oh come now Tony that's not the same thing exactly," and that's exactly true for who can imagine a hungry Fox reputed to be ever so clever to be so dumb! 

        Or to turn it around if you need some outdoor air and your partner insists you do a hundred loads of laundry you simply tell them to,  "Go fly a kite." A reactive partner will respond, "No, you go fly a kite." To which you respond, "Wow, great idea. I will."  If they don't respond appropriately get quiet for a moment, look down, stare at your toes awhile then look up with squirrelly eyes.  Tell them you're hearing voices. An imperative voice commands you ... they will step back then.... to, "Go Fly a Kite!" Then remove yourself from the laundry knowing very well that dirty clothes will not fly away and can always be done at a latter time such as when some politician is giving an important commentary about something or the other on the telly. That's British slang for television which makes me wonder do our cousins across the pond use "celly" for a cell phone? Luckily we have not picked up this slang word from our neighbors the Brits. Unfortunately while Googling this I learned that the Brits have picked up the F bomb from us such that one in four of them use the F word as their go to swear word. There's a language export that just keeps giving. 

    Back to kites and kite flying. Kites come in different shapes and sizes. Before we get to that and this may come up on Jeopardy some day did you know that the highest kite flown flew 16,009 feet in the air. This Guinness Book World Record is 3.03 miles high or for those who think in metrics 4,879.54 Meters. Why some people think in Metrics is beyond me, but evidently some do.  This record setting flight took place in 2014 on a 50,000 acre sheep farm in Australia by a very lonely sheep herder named Robert Moore. No mention is made about what may have happened to the sheep he was tending when he made this historic flight. The longest kite fly is 180 hours or over a week. Man now that's taking the notion "Go fly a kite" seriously!

                                                              Beautiful Butterfly Kite!** 

        Do you recall your childhood kite flying days in March. The paper kites with flat wood sticks that might last an hour maybe two if the kite eating tree didn't get them first? Obviously there's been serious improvements since then in material and expertise. Did you know that a person who flies a kite is called a "Pilot".  To get your pilots license you only need to fly a kite once. Now there's incentive go fly a kite briefly then tell all your friends you are a "Pilot" and for your next story tell them about the time you followed a White Rabbit down a large Rabbit Hole and met all sorts of weird creatures. 

Below my friend Sandy became a Real Pilot, but has never mentioned following a white rabbit or falling down any rabbit hole. Not yet anyway. Notice her concentration and form as she guides the Dragonfly Kite higher.  Kite flying is no longer just for the kids. Consider the meditative peace and tranquility in staring up at a high flying kite. You will notice the clouds and learn to talk to your kite as it suddenly nose dives toward the ground. You'll say, "No, no, no, stay up, come on, come on you can do it. No not again."  Remember as a Pilot any landing you walk away from is considered a good landing. And when your kite soars you to will soar with that kite as you feel the tension in the string and tug gently when needed to encourage the kite to stay aloft.   

A Real Pilot ***

An Aside: There are real mysteries in this world. Such as why I can't ever get things in this blog to align the way I wish them to which makes exiting my room while leaving the computer in one piece another good reason to "Go Fly A Kite!  

    To fly a kite you will need a few things. First is a kite." I bought three kites all came with strings. The Dragonfly kite flew pretty well in gusty wind. The Beautiful Butterfly kite proved more difficult. Ah beauty can be that way, it kept crashing until on the second day it broke. The Delta shaped kite flew very well and the highest and longest. You will also need string. String normally comes with a kite when you order it on line. Second you need a safe place to fly the kite. Avoid all power lines. Avoid kite eating trees. Secretly every tree harbors a desire to earn a reputation as a kite eating tree. They pretend to be nonchalant and uninterested until the kite is within reach. Then they stretch out a limb and snag the kite. Will you get it back? Good luck with that. Lastly you need wind. Kites fly only with the wind. The string allows the Pilot to guide the kite ever higher. Note that swirling winds are normal and a tail on a kite helps stabilize the kite. If your lucky. Always pray for luck. A friend although not necessary can increase the enjoyment and help with flying and untangling dangling things and the string. Plus you get to share and enjoy seeing them fly a kite. Thanks Sandy for the assistance and for joining the Pilot team. But do stay away from Boeing Jets that lose a door because neither you or I fly so well. No matter how windy! 

Delta Kite

    "Go Fly a Kite," with grandchildren. I did and heard an expression I hadn't hear in many years from the mouth of the youngest. As the Delta shaped kite rose higher and higher he exclaimed, "Cowabunga!"  Now that is awesomeness. 

        Thanks for Joining Me My Friends may Serenity be yours! 

*Poem reprinted by permission of the author. Being the author that was a fairly simple task to achieve.

**The Beautiful Butterfly Kite only lasted two days until a key member broke. Can it be fixed? I shall endeavor to see if that's possible as there's still more of March left. 

***My friend Sandy took the first picture of the Dragonfly Kite. While looking up at it we noticed two large soaring birds so far up and under a large white cloud they looked the size of insects, but were most likely eagles. 

Picture of Sandy taken by the author. 

 Anthony G. Hendricks, author, poet, nature lover -- naturally;  Buddha Blues, recently published with a great cover created by his Sister Judith; available at Amazon as print on demand or as an e book at Amazon or Kobo. With formatting help on cover and interior by Woven Red. Other books The Wasteland Revisited, a book length poem about the dystopia causing global warming; available as an e book at Amazon; A Journey In The Human Dilemma, collected poetry and prose; trade paper back.