Back when there were dime stores, I used to buy 25-cent paper kites and put them together and fly them till they tore up. I never got them up very far, and often not at all. I'd race around in Riverside Park with the kite dragging in the air three feet behind me, and when I thought I'd built up enough wind, I'd whip around, expecting it to lift off and soar up into the sky. That very rarely happened. But, oh, when it did! My heart sailed right up there with it!

Now there are people who are dedicated kite flyers, who meet on weekends to practice stunts and compete in contests around the country, flying high tech kites made of nylon or polyester, costing hundreds of dollars.

And there are Pakistani men who still fly paper kites in parks in Queens, carrying on a tradition of fighting kites with glass-encrusted strings slicing through their adversary's line.

They all share a passion for playing with the wind and letting their spirits fly.