GO FLY A KITE.

Is it any wonder that my first experience of flying a kite was a dud? Enthusiasts know that you need a windy day, plenty of string, and a little patience to keep a kite aloft.

In Deliverance from Jericho (Six Years in a Blind School), I wrote of the experience that disillusioned me about the hobby.

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Towards the end of August, Dad bought us a small red kite. Deciding to play the father role for an afternoon, he put it in the back seat and drove my sisters and I out to a grassy field near the town. I had often heard how much fun flying kites was. Various books and television programs sang the praises of this activity. Since I had never flown a kite before, I anticipated having an exciting time.

"Throw it up in the air and run with it," Dad instructed. Diane and I took turns but the kite refused to become airborne.

"This is supposed to be fun?" I thought to myself as I towed that stick and plastic contraption behind me on its short string. After one try, I handed the kite to Diane and let her tire herself out with it. Since Linda was too young, she ran around the field with her own imaginary kite.

It was unfortunate that our father chose a cloudy and calm day for kite flying. Had it been windy, the activity might have been more enjoyable. Dad drove us home after a half hour. As I gazed out of the car's window, I thought kite flying was a colossal waste of time.

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Deliverance from Jericho contains many more vignettes of what life was like in that government-run institution. These range from poignant experiences of homesickness to hilarious incidents of mischief. Click here to read more about this compelling story. You may also e-mail me directly if the comment form doesn't work.