The eyes were peering into my soul.
So strong was their gaze, it transported me through time.
OK, let me hop off the hyperbole train for two seconds here. So, I was discussing with friends, via social media, some of our favourite old-time toys. All kinds of things came up, from handheld Mattel electronic games to Nerf footballs to Fisher Price castles and everything in between.
Not once did we mention kites.
But, as it eerily seems to be able to do, the internet decided it wanted to get in on the fun and about an hour later, a random photo popped up on my feed.
It was the kite pic accompanying this piece. Somehow, the exact replica of the first kite I ever owned those many decades ago.
Instantly, I was 10 years old, unfurling it and shouting "cool, a bat!" after receiving it as a present from my parents.
Within about 12 seconds, with a little help from my Dad, I had the thing together and was over the fence and into the adjacent schoolyard, with those eyes now peering down at me from what seemed like a thousand feet in the air. Even from the comfort of sitting behind my keyboard, I can feel the wind on my face and hear the familiar flapping noise from that glorious garbage bag in the sky.
That began a brief but thrilling obsession with kites. I remember having a few more of that plastic variety, with differing designs. I recall becoming somewhat of a kite string snob, not wanting the regular stuff from the toy store but instead demanding the high-end stuff from the snooty hobby place.
I even had a couple of semi-expensive box kites, painstakingly pieced together and then set free. Sadly, I didn't have much luck with those ones and they each met a crashing demise.
"If you can't take care of your stuff, you don't get stuff," came the booming reminder from Dad that I've used myself probably 1,459 times.
At one point I had a stunt kite that had two lines and could do all kinds of intriguing loops and twists.
Then, as quickly as the Kite Era was ushered in, it disappeared. We all moved on to the latest craze, whatever that was.
I would feel some minor pangs sometimes when we'd drive near the waterfront in Victoria and some folks would have their kites in the air, or more recently when we'd drive by the Parksville Kite Festival. But it's never been the same.
There was a brief renaissance when I got a couple of the old standards when my son was about seven or eight – but that also quickly fizzled out. I was delighted to still be able to get the things in the air but my legs weren't as thrilled as my brain.
But seeing that has spurred me on. I'm used to people telling me to go fly a kite (sometimes using slightly different words), so perhaps I may do just that.
I have found the old bat kites are still available. Maybe it's time. I have no idea how I'll get the thing in the air, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
While I'm at it, I may just order a Fisher Price castle and a Nerf football.
• When was the last time you flew a kite? Any fun memories to share? Let me know.
PQB News/Vancouver Island Free Daily editor Philip Wolf welcomes your questions, comments and local story ideas. He can be reached via email at [email protected]; by phone at 250-905-0029 or on Twitter @philipwolf13.
