Kids want to fly
Yesterday at the training site there were a couple of little boys barely 9 or 10 years old holding up bed sheets and running full tilt – they had no preconceived notions about flying with the sheets. They have been watching us train here and have some idea about what one needs to be airborne – they were simply having the time of their lives – turning around to demonstrate kiting the glider, jumping ahead to demonstrate bunny hops etc. they were just imitating the training process and having a blast.
Their antics reminded me of an article I wrote ‘Kamshet and the Circus in the Sky’ almost 9 years ago, to give people an idea about a day at the flying site. I had ended the article by musing about the village children who come by to see the circus in the sky (us paragliding) and wondered how our activities and their exposure to us would affect their lives.
Back at the site and in the ‘present moment’ my eyes turn towards Ravi Shelar one of those very village boys who today is a paragliding instructor and a competent tandem pilot. And then there is Bandya Sandeep and Vinay, fondly called the Karanjgaon Contingent. Yesterday’s children and today’s young men who are now part of the Nirvana Adventures team all having achieved their flying dreams as well as dodged the bus that takes all young people away from their homes family and roots in village India to the drudgery of menial work in the city.
The circus in the sky sure has impacted many lives
Peace Bliss & Happy Landings
Astrid Rao