The art of flying Kites

When we were kids, Sankranti is synonymous with three things,

• Getting up early in the morning, having to bath and performing pooja
• Special mouth-watering delicacies, for which preparation starts two days prior and consumed within two hours
• Flying kites – the sheer fun of seeing our kites high above the ground which would give the same kick that I get now after six shots of Tequila

The reason I remembered this annual ritual is because after a long time ( very long time - 10years), I tried my hand on flying kites.

With more money in hand and too much logic in my brain, I thought flying kites is a piece of cake. How wrong was I! I purchased six kites and tried various permutations and combinations available to make them fly. Alas! They refused to fly and to make matters worse - the kids next door were “flying high”.

Seeing my pathetic situation, a kid from the next door came over and did some minor tweaks and Bingo, the kite started flying!!!

It made me wonder, how could that kid possible know, what I don’t. The obvious answer that seems to be lurking round the corner is “he knows”. No logic or doubt was in his mind. He just knew it.

In this comparative, logic filled life, it is not easy to go by hunch. Companies want to know too many “hows” “whys” and “what ifffs” before they agree to your proposal. If you say that this project will work because you have a gut feeling about it, they will look at you as if you were some sort of weirdo.

But for me this is a lesson which I hope to remember “never underestimate anyone”.

I wish all of you a happy Sankranthi and hope that you are still as cheerful and curious about this world as you were when you are a kid :)