Perspective
A young boy, a toddler really, with black curly hair and wearing overalls walked out of a department store with a red balloon in his hand. Upon exiting he looked up and noticed how deeply blue the sky was, and lifting his hand he released the balloon. The young boy then turned to his mom and said, “Look mommy, the balloon is falling into the sky.” There he and his mom stood staring at the balloon until it disappeared.
Wrote the following comment on October 12th, 2005 at 5:04 pm #
Hush now baby, baby, dont you cry.
Mother’s gonna make all your nightmares come true.
Mother’s gonna put all her fears into you.
Mother’s gonna keep you right here under her wing.
She wont let you fly, but she might let you sing.
Mama will keep baby cozy and warm.
Ooooh baby ooooh baby oooooh baby,
Of course mama’ll help to build the wall.
-from “Mother” Pink Floyd
Wrote the following comment on October 12th, 2005 at 10:12 pm #
OK! I get that there is a touch of childhood sentimentality in this piece, but that is not what it’s about. Notice that the title is “Perspective”, which relates to the meaning for this little story. Concerning the balloon’s ascent, a scientist will say that it rose due to the lighter gasses it holds in relation to that found in the atmosphere. This is a legit world view, but I personally wouldn’t miss out on the unique view given by the child, as it at least gives us the opportunity to get out of our conditioned frame of reference.
_______
Come on Chris…
Embrace your inner child and run with me in a field of daisies! I mean, you know, unless you become as a little one you will not see the Kingdom of Heaven.
Wrote the following comment on October 14th, 2005 at 6:57 pm #
Who Cares about the kid and his freaking balloon!? I wish I was there so I could pop it and then stand and stare at he and his mommy and watch with rejoicing as the child cries in agony and pain, watch and laugh at his his sadness, and to test his mother’s protection and fury, and reative defensiveness. Does she hit me? Does she cry? Does she drop an ‘F’ bomb in front of her pathetic, spoiled, weasel of a child? what kind of glare do I receive from her punishing eyes? What are my consequences for such impulsivity? hmmmmm…………Is it really funny at all?
I think letting balloons go up and up is littering and the mother should be fined for such an act. Who cares about balloons! I have bad memories about balloons, nightmares actually! My mommy never bought me balloons! whaaaaaaaaa………….!!!!! I hate balloons! I hate kids with balloons! I hate them filled with human air, water, helium and I hate them filled with mustard, ketchup feces for that matter!
anyhow…….where is this boys’ father anyway?
Wrote the following comment on October 14th, 2005 at 7:23 pm #
I guess I have triggered some cynical or jaded buttons, but being one who always gives in to popular sentiment let me write the following sequel to this boy’s life:
The young boy grew up with some major psychotic issues that developed over the fact that his workaholic Father, was emotionally unavailable, failed to affirm him any significant fashion, and was hardly ever around, also his Mom was profoundly manipulative in a fashion so subtle that that boy (nor anyone else for that matter) could hardly identify it. This led to him starting a Rock/Rap fusion band called “F*ck Off!”, which of course appealed to the mass of parentally neglected teens in our culture, who bought up millions of his album and made him a millionaire many times over.
With his new found wealth he, of course, was the host of many Bacchanal parties, and had the typical array of cars, bling-bling, and hoes to sport all over town. Also, he bought a gigantic hot air balloon, that was… can you guess it… red. One day he got very, very intoxicated from a mix of drugs and alcohol, and he hopped into his red balloon where he continued to soar high-high up into the deep blue sky and eventually passed out due to the lack of oxygen.
Unfortunately, the boy’s presence in the sky was not registered by any radar, and he crossed that path of a jet, the afterburners of which burned a hole into his balloon, and thus he plummeted to his death. On the ground, ironically, there was a little boy who witnessed that rapid descent of the red balloon, and turned to his father and said, “Sh*t Dad, check that out, a red balloon is falling out of the sky!” Fortunately for all the frustrated, angry and neglected youths of our culture, and for his money-grubbing record label, the boy continued to release records posthumously, which continued to sell in the millions.
Wrote the following comment on October 25th, 2005 at 2:01 am #
I liked the story Mr Administrator. I’m not afraid to put aside the machoness for a moment and ponder the tale. 🙂 Was it true by the way? I mean did you see it?
As an aside. I think one thing I noticed about America on my travels is that the men in America are bigger than us “Yurpeans” (Hail the Bush). Could it be that Americans are evolving differently. Is the American male (and female but lets not go there) becoming bigger by design. Like their fridges Americans are now capable of storing more consumables. I’ve had American friends who have defrosted their freezers and found stuff in there they long since forgot about, I wonder if that is in someway a wicked analogy of the average ‘built in the USA’ male.
Present company accepted, of course Mr Administrator sir 🙂
Wrote the following comment on October 25th, 2005 at 3:28 am #
I saw somthing like quite awhile ago. In constructing this little tale I wasn’t too concerned about accuracy to the original event. Rather I used the event as I remembered it in the convolutions of my memory in conjunction with my imagnation to make this story.
Wrote the following comment on March 21st, 2009 at 5:04 pm #
I love this song ! It’s awesome ! 😀