Bye-Bye, Balloon

Coming Out In April, 2023

​"Tropical Depression," the final episode of the "Equal and Opposite Reactions Trilogy," will be released on APRIL 27, 2023 by Black Rose Writing.

​BYE-BYE, BALLOON

​   Alas, the journey of the wayward Chinese balloon is over. Yesterday afternoon it sailed off the Carolina coast and out over the ocean where American fighter jets popped it.

       It's likely that U.S. Navy SEALS are now combing the sea to recover the balloon's parts, the sum of which will surely not equal the balloon as a whole. At least not in our imaginations. 
      Fess up, everyone: Who hasn't been enjoying the Chinese balloon story?  All right, it's serious business, I get it: this was some kind of Chinese spy gizmo and it invaded our airspace (which is ours, not God's right?).
        But, come on, people, if we're telling the truth, who didn't find the whole thing funny and whimsical? Who didn't chuckle picturing a big white Chinese balloon floating over Montana?

      As if out of a scene from "Nope?"

       Next thing we heard the balloon was floating over the Carolinas, and, really, who could keep from cracking up over that tweet sent out by the Sheriff of York County, South Carolina?:      

        And even better were some of  the responses the Sheriff's tweet generated:

            In fact, witty folks were quick to create an abundance of funny internet balloon memes, such as this one starring Homer Simpson:        

       And then there was last night's hilarious Saturday Night Live skit.        

      In truth, who among us wasn't hoping the balloon would float over their neighborhood along its way? 
​        But the now the Chinese balloon is down and our bit of fun is over. Now we have to sit back and watch American and Chinese leaders bicker and posture and toss back and forth macho threats and hostile language and ramp up world tensions, as if things aren't already tense and bad enough, and scare us all to death.  And instead of being able to enjoy the good laugh we had over the Chinese balloon, all 326.7 million Americans now have to to be enraged against all 1.393 billion Chinese and they against us. All so a few alpha males at the top can engage in a club-swinging contest.
​       But then, most of the world's trouble and suffering come from a few alpha males at the top who need to engage in club-swinging contests.
        They sure know how to spoil our fun.