Washington's Birthday more than a million years ago

Dream no little dreams.  They have no power to stir men’s souls.  Daniel Burnham, Chicago architect

There was no President’s Day when I was 7.  There was Lincoln’s Birthday, there was Washington’s Birthday, and they each got their due.  As father of our nation, President Washington rated a school holiday.  My friend Dale and I took advantage by flying kites.   

Washington’s Birthday, February 22, 1959 was very blustery (on the west side of Cleveland), and I aimed to take full advantage.  Tying together two balls of twine, I let my kite go.  It flew across our entire playground, and danced over the tall elms of the residential neighborhood, more than 150 yards away.  Our dream to fly to the highest possible was realized.  The thrill was unforgettable.   It was the first such (positive) thing I had done, more or less, on my own.

So it is with life.  Sometimes, we need the challenge and thrill of two balls of twine, not just one, to stir our souls, and soar higher than we had thought possible.