Balloons.

I took a little time to look back over all the paintings I have done this summer in France. It amounts to a fair number. As yet I have done nothing more than paint them and probably will not. So I am beginning to ask myself if it is worthy of the time spent doing them?

The one above was a quick painting of a ballon that passed right overhead on one of the sites I was on early in the summer. It was so low I could speak to the people in the basket.

This picture came to mind because on my journey home through England I passed through a village where there must have been a number of celebrations in various homes. At least five of the houses had balloons on the outside gateposts. 

I then happened to notice only yesterday a balloon lying on the edge of a field when I was walking. It was one that had been filled with nitrogen and released, something I have never been in favour of because of the pollution caused and the danger to wildlife. 

All of this reminded me of the little ploy used by a motivational speaker at conferences he led. When you walked into the theatre or hall where the conference was being held the first thing you noticed was a net filled with balloons hanging from the ceiling. When I first saw this I thought, "What the heck have I come to?"

During the speakers address he pulled a string and let the balloons fall free. He told all the participants that under their seat they would find a felt pen. They were instructed to select one of the balloons and right their names on it. 

The balloons were put back into the net pulled up and released again. Everybody was then told to find their balloon. 

At first there was a melee of people lifting balloons and throwing them about. Nobody seemed able to find their balloon. 

The speaker stopped them. Told each person to pick up a balloon. Then they had to read the name then match the name with the name tag each person was wearing on themselves. Within no time each person was reunited with their balloon.

This is exactly like life. We are all frantically looking for happiness and failing to find it. Our happiness lies in the happiness of others. Give other people their happiness and they in turn will bring happiness to you. 

Have a great day. Go on blow up a balloon and have a laugh.