I was driving by the Weber Point Events Center in downtown Stockton recently on my way to an assignment, when I saw a young couple attempting to launch a kite. I say “attempting” because there didn’t appear to be any wind. Still, there was some nice light on them, and I thought they might make a nice picture. However, I was right on schedule for my assignment, and stopping would have made me late for it. Stopped at a traffic light, I could see the couple frolicking in the sunshine, and I hemmed and hawed to myself on whether I should pull over and photograph them. The light turned green, and I chose to continue on my way.
My assignment was over in about 45 minutes, and I figured that the couple would have given up trying, but I decided to swing back by on the off chance that they were still there. By the time I returned, it was nearly an hour since I had first spotted them, but to my surprise they were still trying to get their kite off the ground.
I went up to them and asked if I could take their picture, and they agreed. The air was nearly as still as a stone, with an occasional mere suggestion of a breeze. The couple, Cynthia Ruiz, 18, and Salvador Ramirez, 20, were undeterred. They tried running with the breeze, then running against it. They tried using a long string, then wound it back for a shorter length. Nothing worked. I was with them about 10 to 15 minutes, and when I left they were still trying to get the kite up in the air, a testament to the persistency and optimism of youth.
