A Kodak Moment Missed
When my youngest son was in Kindergarten, he spent hours building a rocket from an elaborate kit. This being a project far beyond the capacity of most six year olds, his teachers and other people in the building followed his progress with interest, in amazement and awe of this little boy whose brilliance was beyond anything they had encountered.
The plan had been that upon completion, Jordan would launch his masterpiece at school. It was decided that not only would his classmates come to observe this momentous event, but also his brothers would be excused from class, and the other three classes within the cluster would be joining us as well.
We couldn’t have asked for a prettier day- brilliant blue sky, warm golden sunshine, lovely gentle breezes, the type of day that makes one’s spirit soar. The children lining up to go outside were abuzz with excitement. This was a deviation from the normal routine, and anticipation ran high. As the children moved through the corridors heading out of doors, the children in the other classrooms looked up from their studies with curiosity and longing.
Upon arrival to the school yard, the 100 or so children accompanied by numerous teachers, aids, parents and other various building personnel, encircled Jordan in a wide arc as he proudly marched to the launch site. A quiet settled over the crowd as Jordan prepared his electrical ignition system for launch. The silence was broken by a snap and a whoooosh, followed by a collective gasp. That rocket burst into the air with such speed and distance that it disappeared for a moment into a cloud high overhead before plummeting from the sky to land in a field nearby. The mass of children took off across the field, with Jordan in the lead, to fetch the rocket. The adults in observance became distracted with chatting amongst themselves. as the children wheeled around en masse to head back, fanned out behind Jordan, mouths agape with laughter. I continued to watch lamenting that no one else was aware of this grand spectacle, until I looked over my shoulder to share a moment of wonder with his soon to be first grade teacher.
Dang. Another Kodak moment missed. (RDW 2-19-07)