Fe at ure
LET'S GO
FLY A KITE! Text by Jo Clark
“…With your feet on the ground, You’re a bird in a flight With your fist holding tight, To the string of your kite… Up through the atmosphere, Up where the air is clear Oh, let’s go—fly a kite!” David Tomlinson (song performed in Mary Poppins by Dick Van Dyke)
Serena Jacobs gets the credit for her husband Donald’s addiction. Ten years ago, while vacationing at Myrtle Beach, he found a broken kite and tried his hand at repairs. That big smile on his face told his wife: “I want my own kite!” When she spotted a kite shop, Serena encouraged him to purchase his first kite. Little did she know they would be in search of wind from that day forward. Serena serves as pit crew for Donald, storing kites in duffle bags and preparing them for lift-off. There will be more than 100 stowed in the vehicle when they attend a kite festival, giving Donald a wide selection. After all, you wouldn’t want to fly the same kite as someone else. 10
NRV MAGAZINE
Kites are colorful, easy to fly, and just plain fun to watch. Flying kites is entertaining for children of all ages; Donald confesses most fliers are kids who never grew up. He says: “When somebody tells me, ‘Oh, go fly a kite’ – I happily say, ‘OK.’ It’s the pure joy of flying a kite—it doesn’t matter which kite is on the end of that string.” Flying kites provides a sense of freedom. It is an activity that crosses cultural, generational, societal and national divisions. Every corner of the world has a kite club. Try an Internet search to find one, no matter where you are. And your kite habit doesn’t have to break the bank. “We see people buy a $500 kite, and it flies just like the $5.99 special,” Donald confides. You can even build your own at a festival. May/June 2021
