Go Fly a Kite!

The Parallels and Pitfalls of Kite Flying for Job Seekers

You might never know it, but I am a kite fanatic. I collect kites. I assemble kites. And SOMETIMES, if the conditions are right, I actually fly them. Read more:

Flying a kite is an undertaking not for the weak of heart. Sure, we all assembled a simple two-stick kite back in grammar school. A couple of sticks, some Elmer's glue, a piece of tissue paper, and now it is a kite! Tie the end on to a bit of string, or even a spool, and off we go!

Our hopes, our dreams, are wrapped up in that kite. We wish it to fly high in the sky, and even touch the sun! We rush outside with our new creation, feel for the first guest of wind, and hope for the best. Maybe, just maybe, our kite will fly high!

Somewhere around 30 seconds later - an eternity in kite flying time - we ask our Mom: "Mom! Why won't my kite fly? I worked so hard!"

Mom explains: " Maybe it needs more wind? Why don't you try running a little bit and pull it behind you?"

We let out about 10 feet of string and start running. We proceed to pull the kite across the ground for the next block.

"Mom!"

"Can you hold my kite up? If you hold it above your head, maybe the wind will be higher and my kite will fly!"

Mom holds the kite above her head for us---about 100 times. Moms are great!

"Mom!"

"I'm going to run up that hill---maybe the wind is higher up there!"

"Stay where I can see you!" Mom says as she watches you run up that hill (Thank you Kate Bush ALA Stranger Things).

"Mom!"

"I'm tired! I need a nap! Let's go home!"

"I have peanut butter and jelly for you in the car. Have some water. Maybe next time. You made a great kite. Did you have fun?"

"I'm going to make a bigger kite. It needs a tail. I need to add more colors. Next time I'll use plastic. Mom!"

"Yes?"

"I love you mom!"

We learn a lot from our first experiences flying a kite: Hard work. Determination. Creativity. Ingenuity. Geography. Courage. And sometimes: Victory! Success! Luck!

But what Mom forgot to tell us, and how this all ties into finding a job, is a bit of truth. It comes from many, many years of me standing in the park, trying, trying, trying to fly a kite.

I started reading a book this past weekend by Robert H. Schuller called: "Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do!" Schuller explains in his roundabout way for his journey to build The Crystal Cathedral in Orange County, California how a site was chosen. Where is the best place to lay the foundation [literally] for success? Schuller asks the figurative question: "How do you catch a moose?"

He says: [p. 80] "Well, if I wanted to catch a moose I would go to Canada. I'd never catch one in Orange County, California. Then I would have to find out what paths they take and where they find their water. I'd have to bring the kind of food that would attract them to me. And I'd have to be able to close in."

That process sounds similar to finding a job! Or to catch a marlin! Or fly a kite!

What are we doing to increase our visibility, our image, our education, our self?

In my opinion, the secret to flying a kite is similar to that of catching a moose. First, I would go to the beach or the top of a high hill where it is often windy. I'd watch the weather forecasts... if rain is expected, it can be great weather for flying a kite. Sitting in a big, empty park on a bright, sunny day is better spent playing on the playground than trying to fly a kite on most days. You might get lucky, but usually not.

The second step to flying a kite is to use a good quality, specialized kite. Kites come in all shapes. Each comes in different colors, materials, and sizes. Some are stunt kites, to do tricks in the air like loops and somersaults. Some have giant wings to catch the air on days it is not so windy. Some have a very long tail, to help with stability and create beautiful shapes as they glide in the sky. Some have amazing artwork and cultural significance. Some of the support materials are made for very windy days: heavyweight lines and handles to do tricks. Special carrying bags to travel with kites. Extra tails and props that spin. There are a lot of types of kites.

The last step to fly a kite, when all the planets and stars align, is to FLY! You take out your kite at the edge of the beach not far from where the water is near, or the top of the hill where you can see the magnificent city shining below, and it flies! You hoist the kite up in the air, and QUICKLY, like magic, the right kite, on the right date, in the right conditions, will FLY.

Mom was right.