megram - Index

megram - 55JulGTA - Index

flying his little
kite when suddenly
the wind
picked up and filled
his kite with so much
wind power that he
lost his grip on the kite
line and finished up watching,
very tearfully, as his kite
flew higher and higher over the river toward the Gatineau
hills,” she recalls.
“A few days after this event, Eric showed up with a handmade
wooden handle and a little waist harness for Jackson, so
he would not lose his next kite. Sure enough, it worked like a
dream and Jackson had many happy kite flights using Eric’s
device, which let him feel the power of the wind without losing
his grip.”
Recently, Myra watched a video clip of her friend flying
over the ice on skis, harnessed to a kite and the amazing
power of the wind.
“It put me in mind of all those years ago, and the little
waist harness he made for my son,” she says.
Eric Brackenbury lives life with the wind at his back and
a kite overhead. He is propelled by intellect, a quick wit, and a
fierce sense of self.
Indeed,there is an electricity that fills the room when Eric
talks, whether offering an opinion, sharing an idea, critiquing
a concept, or appreciating an opportunity.
Christine sums up what others might perceive as her husband’s
eccentricities, saying simply,“Eric is a very clever man.
He has always known his own mind.”
Theirs is a partnership built on mutual admiration and
July/August 2008 • 13 • Fifty-Five Plus Magazine
enthusiasm — more for their differences than their sameness
it would seem.
“We drive each other crazy because I am very intuitive
and Eric is very technique oriented,” notes Christine.“It’s like
listening to a pianist play every note right. If it is only technique,
it doesn’t do anything for you.You’ve got to have the
mixture of the two.”
Christine may have no particular interest in kiting, but
she has been on many kiting holidays with Eric and son
Oliver, now 25. From time to time she has even assisted in the
building of kites, and in their installation.
Conversely, Eric isn’t invited to the book retreats
Christine enjoys or the art classes she takes. But his critiques
are almost always helpful, and even after all these years she
continues to ask for his opinion.
A self-employed professional goldsmith, Eric once did