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Seeing It All Just a Little Differently

What possesses a man to tie 105 helium balloons to a lawn chair and fly? The guy from Oregon, Kent Couch, explains our desire to chase adventure as well as anyone:

"When you're a little kid and you're holding a helium balloon, it has to cross your mind. When you're laying in the grass on a summer day, and you see the clouds, you wish you could jump on them. This is as close as you can come to jumping on them. It's just like that."

I tip my hat to the man who flew 193 miles powered by balloons, following his Little Kid desire to jump on clouds, and reminding us how amazing people can be.

I should focus on the innate sense of adventure that rests in all of us, waiting to be released, but at the moment I am focused on the folding lawn chair. I am reminded of the Precision Lawn Chair Marching troops that have been marching in holiday parades for a few decades now. This is a picture of a unit in a Chicago suburb. When these guys march, they bark out cadences--"She don't know and I don't care, I'm wearing yesterday's underwear." Now that's some fine ambition there.

I am not as impressed with these slobs with their patriot shorts and black socks as I am with the man who figured out how to fly, but I am still inspired by their ability to see something as basic as a folding aluminum lawn chair in a different light. They have taken it out of the back yard and given it a new purpose.

Comments

dive said…
Now I'm even more afraid of America!
10:15 AM
Scout said…
hee hee. Dive, don't be afraid. Doesn't everyone want to bounce off of the clouds?
10:37 AM
dive said…
Its the corps of men in underwear dancing with lawnchairs that spooks me, Robyn.
That and macaroni cheese on pizza!
ICK.
10:52 AM
Neponset River Bridge Dig said…
The balloon thing reminds me of the curious george book when he flys away from the man with the yellow hat.

funny you should write about the lawn chair brigade. I actually formed one of these in my neighborhood and we marched in the 4th of July parade for 3 years in a row. I took a lot of crap from guys who were not secure with their own sexuality about it being a "chick thing" but I had fun just the same. I had one woman come out of the crowd and sit on my lap while I was relaxing in my folding lawn chair. Now that was FUN!!! :)
12:22 PM
Gina said…
One of the things that helps me to see differently is my four year old. There is nothing like the imagination of a young child to stir your own again.
1:32 PM
Scout said…
Rich, I can't believe you started your own lawn chair brigade! Do you have pictures?

Gina, 4 year olds and 17 year olds.
1:56 PM
Sassy Sundry said…
I heard about balloon man. Crazy. Made me think of Danny Deck Chair (weird movie).

My friend was in a lawn chair brigade. They didn't wear patriotic shorts.
2:46 PM
Maria said…
Just looking at that guy flying gave made me nauseated. I'd be the one who thought it sounded like good fun, but when I got up suddenly chicken assed out and began screaming like a banshee to GET ME DOWN NOW!
8:11 PM
Anonymous said…
If i get those 99 red hellium balloons now i have something to do with them :)
5:53 AM
Neponset River Bridge Dig said…
Robyn - I do have some pics somewhere I will try to dig em up. My Lawn chair brigade was coed.
8:33 AM
Bock the Robber said…
Given the state of my lawn chairs after a winter of complete neglect, left out in the rain with weeds growing through them, this activity is probably not for me.

In this house, lawn chairs are routinely broken up to feed the patio heater.

It wouldn't be an adventure.

It would be suicide.
2:46 PM
Anonymous said…
I admire the balloon chair man too Robyn! We saw itt on the national TV news. I've just had a look at your past week and love the photos of daughter no 2 - good to know that she has had such a wonderful trip to our neck of the woods. I hope she enjoyed Sydney and the blue mountains. As for icecream - I love anything with caramel in it or lemon gelati. We tend to eat icecream only in summer though and of course it is winter here but the sun is just rising and it will be a sunny Saturday in Adelaide.
6:35 PM
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