Magic Wings by Alden Moffatt

Author:Alden Moffatt [Moffatt, Alden]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Books2bits.com
Published: 2003-01-01T04:30:00+00:00

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Suspended in the vast openness with nothing around, my mind wandered.

When Duke and I were camped at Indian Valley, there was a creek that flowed under a bridge on a side road. The creek was only a few feet wide and just deep enough to sit in. The days were hot so we’d sit in camp for a while then go to the creek, waiting for the afternoon up welling of air when it would be possible for a hang glider to get more than just a short ride to the landing area.

Duke was a mechanic working in a plastics factory, but his mind was focused now on creativity. “I want to play the violin”, he said. “If I can learn to play ‘Amazing Grace’ that’ll be my goal. I don’t want to be a great musician, but I don’t want to have to rely on other people to make the music anymore. I want a violin to hang on the wall when I’m not playing it.

“ Lily wants a computer. We argued all day before I left cause I didn’t want to spend what little money we have on a computer. People get trapped in cyberspace. They don’t do anything anymore. They just want to sit around and pretend there’s something going on. Even a few pilots act like they have a social life because they write a few e-mails and look at the web for a while from their lonely apartments. “

The trees swayed a little overhead. We were sitting in the creek. It was the first time the trees had moved on that day. Then they became still.

“When Lily was younger, we used to kayak, ride bikes and backpack. But lately, since our kid left home, she spends most of her time quilting in the bedroom or nursing in the hospital. Last year she came here and we camped in the Greenville park. This year she doesn’t want to be here or anywhere else. She just wants to stay at home.

“ I think all people get more comfort oriented as they get older. Everyone I know is staying at home more and more every year. You have to fight that urge.”

Another puff of air circulated through the trees.

“I won’t have one of those computers around,” Duke continued. “That’ll be the last time Lily ever comes outside if she can entertain herself that way. You know, since computers got cheap ten years ago, there have been almost no new hang glider pilots. Everyone is pretending they’re having adventures now playing video games and flying airplanes on their computers.”

“That may be true,” I said. “ Everyone gliding who I know has been doing it for a lot of years. I’m the only new pilot in southern Oregon in at least five years.”

“There are only about thirty people who fly gliders in Southern Oregon and I only see about ten on a regular basis”, Duke said. “And it’s going to get worse too. Pretty soon everyone’s going to wear around virtual reality goggles an they won’t even be awake anymore.

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