Technicolor Skys

You can't tell a whole lot about that day from the picture. You can't see the endless green grass on rolling anthills that stretched farther than geographically possible. Nor the pale, pale blue sky stretched even farther than the grass or the high-noon sun that just barely blocked out those formless technicolor flying creatures set loose by giddy caretakers. All there is, is half my face, mouth open wide, tongue stuck out, smiling.

I was probably laughing as I ran, my crimson fleece jacket contrasting vividly with the patch of grass behind me as my hair flew wildly in the blustery winds. It wasn't until I was fifteen that my Dad (far left) and I drove past that park again. It looked nothing like I remembered it. I couldn't have been older than four or five the day we went to the park. It had been early fall and the leaves had just barely started to change. I wouldn't have noticed it, but my Mom(far left) and Aunt (far right) had been talking about returning to take photos and collect leaves later in the season as I listened in. All of us were carrying lawn chairs, except for me. Dad was carrying my hot pink Barbie lawn chair over top his dull army green one. Him and my Uncle (holding me) were also carrying suspicious black tubes.

There were dozens of other families out there that day, my older cousins were there but they were up to their own mischief. I had no idea why we were there, truly. And it wasn't until Dad unfurled the first creature that I became excited. It looked like a massive butterfly, purple and pink and black. He placed the handle in my palm and told me to hold on tight. He then took the kite by the center and ran out five or more yards from me. He waited for a good gust of wind and then threw it in the air and told me to run away from him. His smile was so big playing with me and I could hear him bust out laughing as I let out a happy scream run-in towards my mom. She took the picture.


The sky was brimming with kites, like an arial petting zoo. Dragons, bird, butterflies, and other incests crowded all available space. If I had been a little older, I would probably have been content to lie on the ground and watch them dance and sway. Occasionally the wind would blow in such a way that they would flock together and drift apart again in sync but never tangling. Like magic.

My kite didn't stay in the air very long and I tired myself out pretty quickly after sprinting for my life more than a handful of times. My Dad, Uncle and cousins had better luck. I remember how much fun we all had. I don't remember leaving but I remember the sun setting, my Mom laughing, and my Dad telling jokes. It had been a very good day.