This Kite Will Fly! (And André Hazes Knew Why)

The article ‘ This Kite will fly!’ establishes a certain connection between making, launching, and adjusting a kite—a process that does not differ much from writing an article.

You sometimes hear people say, “That kite won’t fly.” It might look nice, but it carries too much weight, or its balance is off. In truth, the number of reasons why a kite won’t fly is endless. The same applies to an article: too much weight on the tail? Can the wind not get underneath it? Is it poorly balanced? With a bit of luck, it might flutter for a moment, but then the flight is over.

A kite also needs space; if it comes down and disappears into a dense forest, you will never find it again. And that, too, applies to an article that has to maintain its altitude along the World Wide Web and avoid disappearing into a digital Bermuda Triangle.

The Joy of the Process

But what is so fun about both kite flying and writing? The assembly, the launching, the thinking, and trying again. It doesn’t have to be important to the world; it simply gives you a huge personal boost, and you can start at any level. You don’t need to aim for a complex, steerable stunt kite that lifts you off your feet. No, it is simply working with the chaos of a few sticks, a piece of fabric, a long string, and a lot of useful thinking. The kind of thinking that causes no stress, but truly opens your own eyes.

Look at the late André Hazes, for example. A boy from the streets, certainly not highly educated, but a folk singer to his very core. According to the laws of marketing and music theory, he should have never made it. His lyrics were sometimes raw and defied all standard rules. Why did he succeed? Because he was one of the few singers who managed to touch both intellectual society and the everyday man straight in the heart. Year after year, young and old, highly or less educated, sang along at the top of their lungs whenever his music played.

A Letter to the Gates of Heaven

Think of his legendary Dutch song, ‘De Vlieger’ (‘The Kite’). It tells the story of a young boy who lost his mother and has to grow up with a stepmother. One day, he takes his father outside. Under one arm, he holds a kite; under the other, a letter.

When his father asks, “Son, what are you doing with that kite AND that letter?”, the child answers: “I am tying my letter to this kite, telling Mama how much I miss her. When I launch it, the kite will reach the gates of heaven, and she will be able to read my letter.”

Simple. Easy to understand. The entire song revolves around only a few words, yet its impact is priceless. It proves that real communication isn’t about expensive words, but about genuine feeling and connection.

So, if you aren’t only happy when you get to pilot an Airbus—like King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands—but simply want to claim your personal space? If you want to learn how to get your own story and feelings into the air?

Let go of the rules and the fear of failure. Fly along with us!