BALLOON RELEASE

COULD ANY THERAPY BE MORE POLITICALLY CORRECT THAN A BALLOON RELEASE FOR A MURDERED CHILD? OR TWO LOST YOUTH? RECENTLY, A CEREMONY WAS HELD AT A LOCAL GRAMMAR SCHOOL TO REMEMBER SAD FEELINGS WITHOUT FACING TWO FACTS. CHILDREN CAN'T COMPREHEND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SUCH NEEDLESS DEATHS, NOR CAN THEY FIX THE PROBLEMS THAT HAVE CAUSED UNAVOIDABLE TRAGEDIES. AS A SOLDIER OBSERVED, "WE LIVE IN THE LAND OF THE FREE BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE." YET THE FEW, THE PROUD AND THE BRAVE ARE BECOMING A DYING BREED.

MY SPACE IN THE UNIVERSE IS FILLED WITH THE WANDERINGS OF ANOTHER LOST CHILD. HIS BALLOON IS FILLED WITH HOT AIR. MY SEND-UP BALLOON WOULD BE A PURE CATHARSIS FOR FRUSTRATION WITH MY THIRTY SOMETHING AND IMPRINTED, APPROPRIATELY, "HE DOESN'T LISTEN." AS A PARENT I CAN TESTIFY TO THE IMPERFECTIONS IN MY HUMANITY AND THE UNPREDICTABILITY INHERENT IN CHILD RAISING.

THE DEAFNESS OF A LOST SOUL TURNS HIS VALUES UPSIDE DOWN. HUBRIS REPLACES HUMILITY. THE SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS QUOTIENT TRUMPS EVEN A LIMITED I.Q. MATERIALISM OBFUSCATES SPIRITUALITY. SELF-SATISFACTION SUBSTITUTES FOR SACRIFICE. FLOUNDERING ABOUT IN AN OCEAN OF PRIORITIES, MY SON HABITUALLY SURFACES WITH HIS DESIRES FLOATING ON THE TOP.

WHAT TO DO? WHAT TO DO? THE QUESTION IS MINE ALONE, BECAUSE BUSY SON ALWAYS KNOWS WHAT TO DO AND "WHAT I AM DOING." FATHER (AND MOTHER) DON'T KNOW BEST. LIKE A BALLOON ALOFT AND CONTINUOUSLY RISING, SOLUTIONS ELUDE ME. THEY APPARENTLY ALSO OFTEN ELUDE OTHER PARENTS AND SOCIETY AS A WHOLE. I SAY, LET'S RELEASE BALLOONS FOR THE BRAVE IN THIS LAND OF THE FREE WHO GUARANTEE FREEDOM OF ACTION WHICH ALLOWS MEN (AND WOMEN) TO CHOOSE TO DO THE RIGHT THINGS OR TO CHOOSE THE EASY ROAD.