KITE

 Back in 2005, when the Vertigo tour was was spreading its love across the world and leaving us all dizzy in the best way possible, Zootopia, or the Zoo as we affectionately call it (the U2 fan club forum for those whom don’t know) was a hot place to be.  I’ll admit, I tried to fit in with everyone, but once again, I learned that if I was just myself, it was better than if I tried to be who people wanted me to be.  

Anyway, one member of the forum decided to start a be creative contest of sorts, where they would pick a song, and you had to do something creative dealing with that song, be it visual, writing, etc.  The first one I participated in was for “Kite”.  The image above is what came to my head when I listened to the song, and I didn’t think much about it at the time, but I remember that I received a number of positive comments on it when I posted it.  Its only after the years have passed and I’ve looked at it have the symbolism behind it started to dawn on me.

See, my dad died when I was six years old.  I remember bits and pieces about him, but I don’t really remember much.  I know I have his hair, and his eyes, and his patience. I’ve asked questions about him since, to try to find out more about what I don’t know. I do remember that we were really close.  At first, with the picture, I wondered why I had put that tree there.  I had thought that it was just to balance it out.  I only recently realized it was because it is a simplified version of the hill he used to take my sister and I sledding down.  It was a tip of Fairmount Park in Philly that was right across the street from the Philadelphia Museum of Art where there was a small grouping of trees and then a big opening.    The child’s so young I supposed because I was tapping into my innocence from back then.  

Now here’s the story that kind of brings it all together, that I didn’t even remember.  My mom told me about this just recently, and when she said it, I was kind of taken aback and was once again reminded of me painting this.  Maybe it was stuck in my subconscious somewhere and came out, who knows.  It was 1984 or so, and our family, with my mom’s sister and her family were down The Shore (slang for South New Jersey beaches) and the adults (my parents, aunt and uncle and my dad’s brother, my Uncle John) thought it would be a great idea to fly kites off of the back deck of the house we were renting.  There were also six girls all under ten years old around and no one had any idea what they were doing.  Fun was had, but the kites didn’t have a chance as they flipped onto the roof (apparently among other places) and were lost.  

“In summer I can taste the salt in the sea

There's a kite blowing out of control on a breeze

I wonder what's gonna happen to you

You wonder what has happened to me”

Yeah.