Kitebuilder.com

[kelvin]

LOOKING UP ! Is looking up good for you ? People say "Your looking down" ," Things are looking up" or " Some one to look up to ". People are impressed by buildings that have to be looked up at Cathedrals, Castles, Towers and Statues... Advertisers use billboards, flags, hot air balloons, and fire woks all to greet effect. As children our parents policemen, teachers all seem larger than life and we still probably give tall people more respect. So if we look up at some thing are we more impressed or influenced and is this a more memorable positive experience.

Remember when you were a kid riding your bike against the wind ? You'd put your head down and just pedal as fast and hard as your whole body could. There probably is some aerodynamic benefit, even at bicycle speed, to ride this way, but all I remember is thinking " If I put my head down and don't think about how hard this is or how slow I seem to be going, the next thing I know, I'll be there."

Despite its benefits, there are a couple of real dangers associated with this " put your head down and just pedal" posture.

I found this out the hard way as a youngster when I rode my bike smack into the back end of a parked car because I didn't look up often enough to see it. I'm sure I passed several friends on the way that I didn't wave to because I never saw them.

Who knows what other really cool things I missed because I didn't look up often enough ?

Flying kites is an excellent opportunity for all of us to look up " For most of us the wind will not of being blow so hard. Looking up long enough to enjoy the people you've been pedalling alongside all year. Look up to see your family and friends that may not have received enough of your attention. Stop and celebrate the incredible hurdles we've overcome as individuals, as a unit and as a nation during the past years.

Look up to see what an incredibly important job we do and how extraordinarily well we do it.

Work will be here soon enough, and it will be back to pedalling hard into a brisk wind. Take every opportunity to look up, now and always. Look up to see where you are going and make sure you are on course, wave to your friends and avoid those parked cars.

[PeterB]

Kelvin,

Great post - very inspirational for a Monday morning. Looking forward waving to you at a festival/fly-in sometmie soon as you ride past on your bike.
_________________
Regards

Peter
www.peterbindon.com

[smarties]

What a moment of wisdom!! We have to be careful when looking up to the flying kites too long, then we miss the Kite Line just beside us that will make us eat grass.

Thanks kelvin for sharing this deep wisdom.
_________________
Smarties
http://www.ifrance.com/site-a-yvon/index-en.html

To boldly go where no imagination as gone before!

[knotronda]

Smarties,

That is why it is important for us to put line markers on the flying line. If you like the taste of grass, I understand there are interesting flavors in the Harry Potter Jelly Bellys.

knotronda

PS Kevin,

Thanks for the words of wisdom. I have a friend who went blind as a child due to glaucoma. His parents felt he should live a full childhood. So, he rode his bicyle around the neighborhood. He did alright most of the time but occasionally someone would park their car in a different spot and he would have an unexpected stop. Ouch. Looking up is good. Being able to see is better.

knotronda

[kelvin]

Knotronda Do we have see to look up ? A wise man said :-

I took a course in Hallelujah
I went to night school for de blues
I took some stuff they said would cool ya...hea ha
But nothing seemed to light my fuse

But that's all in the past
Like a check that's in the mail
She was a tall whiskey glass
I was an old hound dog
That just loved to chase his tail

Until I met a Blind Man
Who taught me how to see...yeah
A Blind Man
Who could change night into day
And if a I can
I'm gonna make you come with me...yeah
Because a here come the sun
And we'll be chasing all the clouds away...yeah yeah...

I've had some lovers like a joyride
Some things are never what they seem
My heaven's turned into a landslide
Thank God I woke up from that dream

I met a Blind Man
Who taught me how to see...yeah
Blind Man
Who could change night into day
And if a I can
I'm gonna make you come with me...yeah
Beacuse a here comes the sun
And we'll be chasing all the clouds the way
The bee's chase honey
And drink all the flowers dry
We'll be saving us a little money
And if that doesn't do it, yeah
I know the reason why

Don't make no sense lightin' candles
There's too much moonlight in my eyes

I met a Blind Man
Who taught me how to see...yeah
Blind Man
Who could change night into day
And if a I can
I'm gonna make you come with me...ah ah ah ah yeah
Because a here come the sun
Ain't no surprise
Ain't no doubt about it
Gonna open up my eyes

[PeterB]

An Aerosmith fan hey. I always thought you more an Abba man (only joking)
_________________
Regards

Peter
www.peterbindon.com

[smarties]

Here's a story I read a few months ago in a "Chicken soup for the soul" book. I don't remember the exact story but it goes like this.

One day, two men were at the hospital each in a room across the hall. Let assume the first man is named Fred and the second man is named Albert who was depress and kept moaning all the time about everything. These names are just for this story and are not related to anyone who may have the same name.

Fred was talking to Albert across the hall, trying to change his mind and make him feel better. He was describing what he was seeing outside his window: the trees, the birds, the kids playing in the park with a kite. Everyday, Fred was describing what he was seeing outside his window to Albert because Albert didn't have a window in his room. This was making Albert feeling better but one morning, Fred was gone. Albert asked the nurse where was Fred. The nurse responded that Fred was very sick and he died during the night. Albert asked the nurse if he could be moved to Fred's room to be able to see outside the window. The nurse responded that there is no window in Fred's room and Fred was blind.

Fred was blind but he was able to see things that often we don't take the time to see.
_________________
Smarties
http://www.ifrance.com/site-a-yvon/index-en.html

To boldly go where no imagination as gone before!

[stevef]

eyes do more than see.....
_________________
Steve Ferrel
Go Build a Kite!
Measure once, buy twice!

[KiteSquid]

I will try to look up more often.....
_________________
VR/
KiteSquid
AKA TakoIka
AKA Harold
King George VA


P.S. Yet another post by the Squid..... Doesent he ever shut up???

P.P.S. The wind is like the air, only pushier.

[jamescrumley]

When the outlook is discouraging and tough, try the Uplook.

Jim