Up, Up and Away

Like everyone else, I'm appalled by the recent balloon drama and the stupidity of some people. The whole world was watching and praying while a sick individual played with our heart strings. When that balloon finally came down and touched ground, I whispered a prayer of thanks like everyone else. Then when the boy was found hiding I thought he needed to learn a lesson he'd never forget. As the day drew on, I changed my mind and saw him again as a helpless victim. A victim of his parents. How sad is that?

My first indication that this horrible incident was a hoax was when the family began appearing on all the news shows. They were on Larry King the very evening of that fateful day when the balloon drifted across Colorado. The same day. As a mother, I would still be too much of a basket case to appear anywhere. I'd be wanting my privacy so I could come to grips with the reality that my hours of sheer terror had ended on a very, very happy note. I know the media wanted interviews while the emotions were raw, but I don't understand how the parents could be up to it.

On another news show the next morning the boy was asked if he heard his parents and officials calling his name. He said yes. His dad asks, "You did?", followed by his mom asking, "You did?" Isn't that a question they would have asked a hundred times the day before if this had been a true life-threatening event? They were only asking it the next day? I would have demanded to know the moment the boy emerged from the attic hideaway.

The next thing that boggled my mind was the father saying they called 911 after making two other calls. If my child was in danger I'd grab the phone and punch in those numbers before I took another breath. I wondered then, too, if this was real or staged.

Finally, what are the parents teaching their children? That it's ok to lie? That it's ok to stick taxpayers with thousands of dollars worth of emergency personnel and equipment to get your name before the public? Maybe it's ok to cry wolf when you are one.

Notice I have not used the family's name here. I think the ego manics have gotten plenty of mileage out of their publicity stunt. When the investigation is over, I have a good feeling that the parents will be taken up, up and away. They should enjoy that experience. They will remain in the public eye for awhile longer.