Kicked 'n Kicked 'n Kicked Again

The time: 5pm at weekend’s edge. The scene: a plane so crowded people’s elbows are deep in eachother’s belly-fat. The hero: a silver-haired man attempting at the end of the long business day to finally study his Wall Street Journal.  The action commenes when the four-year-old child seated directly behind him scootches down and down in his seat til his feet reach the man’s seat back.  Then, with his mommy out cold in the seat beside him, he bends his knees and KICKS, straightens both legs and PUSHES, holds them slightly flexed  and EXECUTES A SMART LITTLE TAP-DANCE, causing the man’s body to jerk and jump and lurch with every blow. The man says nothing, either to the child, or the child’s mother or to the flight attendant. He doesn’t even cast a baleful glance at the people around him who see what is happening. Instead, for the whole of this weary day’s-end flight, just as millions of anxious investors have been doing for nearly a year now, he winces slightly with every blow, hangs on tight and goes for the ride.