Stressful times for a respiratory specialist. Rockland man relaxes flying huge kites.

Alexandra Weliever, The Patriot Ledger
·2 min read

ROCKLAND – John Herr has found joy in an unusual, larger-than-life hobby.

"I got started doing it last year, actually," Herr, 61, said of his new pastime. "My daughter Jillian, who happens to be a nurse, she said, 'Do you want to go fly a kite?' And I said, 'What?'"

So, Herr went out with his daughter in the winter of 2020 to fly a few small kites in Nahant. One year later, his kite collection has swelled to seven, two of which are 60-foot-long octopus kites he ordered online from China. The orange-and-red kite is named Ruby, and the purple-and-white octopus is named Prince, after the late musician, Herr said.

"I just had so much fun doing it, it was so simple," the Rockland resident said. "What turned out as a suggestion of my daughter turned into, 'Yeah, let's get a 60-foot kite."

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Flying kites helps relieve stress, he said, especially during a pandemic when he's usually busy working as a respiratory therapist at St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Boston.

The last few weeks have been particularly busy, Herr said, because of the latest wave of COVID-19 and a quickly filling intensive care unit.

John Herr, of Rockland, flies 60-foot-long octopus kites at Union Point in South Weymouth on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022. He uses an anchor point to hold the strings, which were once used to tie down U.S. Navy aircraft at the closed air base.
John Herr, of Rockland, flies 60-foot-long octopus kites at Union Point in South Weymouth on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022. He uses an anchor point to hold the strings, which were once used to tie down U.S. Navy aircraft at the closed air base.

"Through these different surges, it's been a nice getaway," he said of kite flying. "It turns into a real nice way to meet people."

Some people honk their horns as they pass by, he said, and approach him with questions. His friends are sometimes a little surprised when he mentions he has a few kites in his car, though that can quickly turn to glee after they take them out for a float.

John Herr, of Rockland, flies 60-foot-long octopus kites at Union Point in South Weymouth on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022. He uses an anchor point to hold the strings, which were once used to tie down U.S. Navy aircraft at the closed air base.
John Herr, of Rockland, flies 60-foot-long octopus kites at Union Point in South Weymouth on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022. He uses an anchor point to hold the strings, which were once used to tie down U.S. Navy aircraft at the closed air base.

A good place for flying kites, Herr said, is Union Point in South Weymouth. There's even tethers in the ground where Herr and other kite-flyers can hook their strings while watching them fly together.

"I have to admit," he said, "it was pretty funny when she had suggested it, and we were looking to get outside and do something together. I'm glad I said yes."

John Herr, of Rockland, flies 60-foot-long octopus kites at Union Point in South Weymouth on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022. He uses an anchor point to hold the strings, which were once used to tie down U.S. Navy aircraft at the closed air base.
John Herr, of Rockland, flies 60-foot-long octopus kites at Union Point in South Weymouth on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022. He uses an anchor point to hold the strings, which were once used to tie down U.S. Navy aircraft at the closed air base.

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Reach Alex Weliever at aweliever@patriotledger.com.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Health-care worker flies huge kites to relieve stress