Flat Flip Flies Straight

Flat Flip Flies Straight. Those words were printed on the Frisbees in my house when I was a kid. I remember we had two. One was blue. The other orange. The words meant nothing to me. I didn't throw Frisbees too much as a kid. Footballs and baseballs yes. Frisbee was sort of a game like croquet; something to do in the yard if there were only girls around. When the guys showed up, we picked teams and got busy with serious competition.

In high school and after, the Frisbees in the closet became a source of a new game. The brother- in-laws and I would flip the platter to eachother for ridiculous lengths of time, making dazzling catches to keep long strings of completions running.

It was in college where I saw people who otherwise had no athletic ability doing amazing things with throwing and catching Frisbees. That's were I first learned the meaning of the four words: Flat Flip Flies Straight. Ahh, its an instruction! Directions! Flat Flip Flies Straight! The trick was getting the plate flat. Flipping not throwing. Genious. I never became the non-athlete Frisbee flipper of the great ones, but I was OK.

Going to my Mom's house in Antigo with Aaron as a little boy was always fun. He liked going through my junk that I left behind in 1977. We would go through the closet to find a new old toy to play with. There was always a beat up football, bald basketball, Jarts, and the Frisbees. Aaron must have been very young because I remember him asking "What's this?" If you never played Frisbee with a little kid who is first seeing one, try it sometime. Aaron couldn't make Flip it Flat so his Frisbee rolled like a wheel on the loose at best and at worst just flopped to the ground. Kicking it. Stomping on it and yelling at it didn't help. No different than anything I introduced Aaron to too soon, his experience wasn't good. Interestingly, he never gave up on those things which include Packer Football, Brewer Baseball, hunting, camping, playing football, baseball, ...etc.

The photo I posted above is an all time favorite. Frisbee could use it to describe the meaning of Flat Flip Flies Straight. Aaron was a summer boy. At Mount Bachelor he became and avid Frisbee guy. Frisbee football. Frisbee anything. On one trip out to visit him we purchased a Frisbee and played in a park...just him and me. Aaron complimented me for not being too bad for a Dad.

Spring is here now and it is Frisbee weather. Twice today I thought of something to tell Aaron and I made that quick reach for my phone. The one that starts with energy and ends with deflation. I'd really like to see Aaron running outside, tracking down an errant Frisbee. He has such long strides and long arms.

Missing my pal.
Dad