on flying an eleven hundred pound kite

how to survive a project bigger than you

What would you do if you had to fly an eleven hundred pound kite? Now imagine being asked to do this in the dark, with little experience over uneven ground. Now, imagine the kite had the emotional control and sense of their body in space of a toddler.

That’s where I’ve found myself last night. On Thursday nights, I get to fly an eleven hundred pound toddler minded kite in the dark over uneven ground while blown by unpredictable winds.

Does this sound ‘fun’ to you?

The Fireman is a big boy. He’s four years old, over eleven hundred pounds and bursting with energy. He’s the bosses horse. He doesn’t have a mean fiber in his being. The boss’ son of a similar age greets him by hanging off of his halter. Fireman swirls his head around. The smaller four year old giggles. He’s flies like a kite while clinging to Fireman’s face.

But Fireman?

He gets excited. He gets excited when me moves. He gets excited when he eats. He gets excited when he jumps. Hell, he likely gets excited when he burps, fart…