| I built models as a kid. | | | | the size of the house we live in, how fast our car is, |
| An interesting hobby gluing plastic cars together, but | | | | how sporty it looks, or its "luxury level." |
| when I finished building them they only sat on display in | | | | We forget sometimes what held importance for us |
| my bedroom. I knew nothing about powered models | | | | when we lived a much less stressful life. |
| until later. | | | | Children want things, sure. They see the latest fad, or |
| Just before my 10th birthday, my father introduced me | | | | get caught up in the barrage of commercials on TV, |
| to the world of powered models. He built gas-powered | | | | and they "just gotta have" that, but the only thing they |
| model airplanes in our attic. | | | | view as a true measurement of the quality of their |
| Wireless radio, or remote, control didn't exist as a | | | | life's experience? |
| popular hobby then. He put his airplanes together using | | | | Time! |
| blueprints, gluing balsa wood together to create the | | | | Time spent doing those things they love to do. Time |
| aircraft from nothing. The finished vehicle had no | | | | spent playing video games, time spent riding the |
| transmitter for remote control. He used wires to fly his | | | | bicycle, time spent playing baseball, football, basketball, |
| airplanes, and he just stood there flying those planes in | | | | or time spent goofing off with their friends. |
| circles. | | | | But most importantly for the children, true quality of life |
| I view it as boring now, but found it exciting then. | | | | comes from time spent with you, their parent or |
| I specifically remember one plane he built because the | | | | grandparent. |
| thing was huge. At least he started building that aircraft; | | | | Your kids know no greater joy than when they spend |
| I don't remember him ever finishing it. | | | | time doing things with you, the important adults in their |
| It had a wingspan over 5-foot. I remember staring at it | | | | lives. |
| on different occasions and wondering how he'd ever | | | | Too often we realize too late how valuable that time is |
| hang on to it. Seemed so big it'd break the wires, rip his | | | | to our children and grandchildren. Time spent doing |
| arm off -- or carry him away. | | | | stuff together means so much to our kids, and think |
| I have fond memories of watching Dad fly his | | | | what it does for building their characters. |
| airplanes. He'd fly until the fuel disappeared, glide in to a | | | | Find a hobby, or activity, that both you and your child |
| landing, refuel, and get back in the air. | | | | (or grandchild) enjoy, and get together with them on a |
| I sat on the ground for hours, just happy to be there | | | | regular basis. Have some fun -- and give them a fun |
| with him. I wasn't strong enough to hold on to those | | | | experience. |
| models then. These days I wonder about the pleasure | | | | Remote control toys are perfect for doing stuff with |
| we'd known by operating the RC models that now | | | | the kids. Get them involved in creating an RC project |
| exist. | | | | from the design phase all the way through operating |
| Funny how caught up in the distractions of routine living | | | | radio control vehicles on the finished layout. |
| we become as adults. We lose sight of those activities | | | | For them life gets no better than that. |
| that give us true pleasure, and start measuring the | | | | How do you measure "quality of life"? |
| quality of our lives in how much money we make, by | | | | |