My first flight

When I was about in my teens, there was a comic strip named "Smiling Jack" he was a pilot and was my hero. One epesode was about him being captured by the Germans and inprisoned on top of a high mesa. The only way off the mesa was by airplane, and it was guarded very heavy whenever they would bring supplies.
Well, Jack was able to fashion a key to his cell and able to go out at night, so that he was able to find items to fashion a glider from it. It consisted of bamboo poles and bed sheets, so he fashioned a glider and flew off the mesa......Well, If he coud do it, then I could do it ....right?....Well sort of.
I went into grandpa Evans shed and found his cane fishing poles, they were very long and was just what Jack would have used. I fashioned my glider just as Jack did and pulled it upon grandpas big barn, which was about 30 or 40 feet high.
When I was ready to fly, I remember holding the glider just as Jack had done and there was a slight breez blowing and I could feel the glider lifting me off the top of the barn, so I launched out and like a falling leef, I flew from the top of the barn accross the road and almost to the fence on the other side....WOW ! I had flown the glider just like Jack did.
I hurried and climbed back up on the barn for a second flight and was so excited, but this time the little breez was not blowing and as I launched myself out, I went crashing down to the ground, breaking most of grandpas fishing poles and almost killing my self. I got a butt kick from grandpa Evans, and a butt kick from dad and had to weed grandpas garden all summer to buy him new fishing poles.
As I look back on it now, the butt kicks and the cuts and bruses was worth every pain and every weed that I pulled...I have no regrets..... Keep in touch and I send love and blessings to all..........Lonehawk