I came across this journal entry from late April 2008 the other day. A true account.
I get out of work at 8pm in NYC midtown. It is Saturday. I don’t want to go straight home even though I am dog-tired and I have made no plans.It is a clammy, London-mist kind of night. Walking to the east side I come upon the Paris theater, one of the last independents.A remake of "The Red Balloon" is playing. I vaguely but pleasantly remember the original from years and years ago. Juliette Binoche is starring in this one. I am a fan of hers. Enjoyed her last in that “Dan in Real Life” movie.So, I take the plunge. The theater is half full.I remember skimming a nice review of this remake somewhere. The review had said it had gotten an award at the Cannes Film Festival.The acting is excellent, especially Juliette. Slice of life unfolding. The haunting bond of the young boy with that inexplicably hovering red balloon.At one point I look around and see a couple of audience members asleep. Soon after a party of four leaves.Certainly not American-like, this movie. A bit like watching paint dry. American movies are so much more “velocitizing”. Is that a word?The movie is not really doing it for me, either, though I appreciate the reappearance of the red balloon each time. It makes me smile. I stick with the movie through to the end.I am feeling tired.Sad. Lonely.I walk a few blocks east and duck into a late night coffee bar. I order a cappuccino to warm myself while continuing to ponder the disquieting, maybe call it “experiential” movie a bit more.A mood piece. Poignant. Its theme was a bit too remote for me.Time to leave I realize, as a dark-haired, moustached man in a dirty apron scurries about noisily cleaning up the tables. I assume his noisiness is my cue. The pungent smell of ammonia in his plastic dishpan had already sabotaged my savoring of the coffee. I decide to sip it while awaiting the uptown subway.The subway platform becomes surprisingly crowded for after midnight. But then again, it is the end of a Saturday night.Many people spill out of the train at my stop. Only one older, unhappy looking man with a flag pin on his lapel aims himself with me at the southeast stairway. I had noticed him staring at my Impeach Bush button on my knapsack back at 59th Street as we shared a bench there. He didn’t remark on it, nor did I remark on his noticing it. His look hadn’t been approving.I let him get a few paces in front of me before I climb the tall steps. As I reach the street I notice the mist has thickened. There is a lovely surreal glow from the streetlights. I also notice the wind has picked up. I shiver but I am only one block from home, warmth and sleep.Something gently touches me on the shin. I look down. A bit of litter has been picked up by the wind apparently and is nudging me. I try to move away from it. It persists.I stop and take a big step backwards to extricate myself.I squint at it. I suddenly realize it is a deflated balloon.Balloon? What the... ??It is silver edged with pink flowers. A string with a knotted loop hangs off it.The balloon obviously has only a little air left inside but the night air outside dramatically has enlivened it.It is by this time swirling and dancing about knee level to me.I have to laugh. What a coincidence. An American cousin to the French red balloon I just spent a couple hours with I joke to myself.I begin to move down the avenue and the balloon joins me, bouncing up to head level. I pull in a breath. Okay, this is getting a tad eerie.I look around to see if anyone is behind me to witness the behavior of the balloon but the street is empty save an occasional car.I continue to trudge down the block, counting off the long seconds the balloon stays parallel to me. I finally glance over at my building on the corner and the dark windows of my apartment.Then I look to my right and the damn balloon is STILL companionably keeping an EXACT pace with me.As WE cross the intersection together and then reach my door I am tempted to reach out and grab it. Take it inside with me.What? As a pet?What am I thinking???It would turn back into a dirty, silver/pink circle of litter with a string.It also would be, though, a souvenir of a few minutes of breathtaking surreality.As I turn the key in the lock the balloon continues to lightly bounce along the sidewalk southward. Suddenly it stops and does a gracious pirouette -- a goodbye? Then resumes its course.I stand before the open door, awed. Reluctant to break the spell of strange, sweet, universe-teasing synchronicity.
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This is great, Libby. I think I like your tale better than the original.
Lordy, lordy, how you can write when you do something like this!
Just delecious! Sending a red balloon your way..... ;-)
R
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Just delecious! Sending a red balloon your way..... ;-)
R
.
Okay, I can log out of OS now cause this is the best thing I will read all day. You create a sense of mood and place that puts the reader squarely in you shoes. Beautiful. R
Yes, beautiful. :)
I may not wholeheartedly agree with your political views, but I sure can agree with Gerald here, and let you know that sometimes, when the mood hits you, you sure know how to create something with words...
R.
R.
Great job. I was spellbound from the start. R.
I like this side of you, the gentler side. Lovely story which could be in the NYTimes, in some section. They have so many blogs there now.
Wow these moments in time that are eerie yet real, you have captured here perfectly. Very cool...
Synchronicity and Déjà Vu are just foolish and completely inadequate words used to describe what man does not understand about existence.
this is a fantastic read :)
Nice writing Libby......................o/e
mm. been there, done that...goddamn balloons...always
hounding me, when i trying my best to go karmically
unnoticed in this world.
That film ? I know the one! leave it to those french
to imbed
archetypes in yr head as you sit there squirming
for some good old american velocitizing in a flick.
~
do you really think you can catch such a thing: a
souvenir of a few minutes of breathtaking surreality.,,?
i have tried a few times, then the items simply get boring.
for: "strange, sweet, universe-teasing synchronicity" cant be
captured ...i dont think..i dunno
hounding me, when i trying my best to go karmically
unnoticed in this world.
That film ? I know the one! leave it to those french
to imbed
archetypes in yr head as you sit there squirming
for some good old american velocitizing in a flick.
~
do you really think you can catch such a thing: a
souvenir of a few minutes of breathtaking surreality.,,?
i have tried a few times, then the items simply get boring.
for: "strange, sweet, universe-teasing synchronicity" cant be
captured ...i dont think..i dunno
Oxygen: a mind of its own (pause) nothing from nothing leaves nothing (quote and non-quote) the moment taken, the song continual, an hour glass finite.
Hart
Hart
-R-
What a great treat finding the ratings and comments. This was one of those accounts I hoped might resonate, is cathartic that it does, but wasn't sure. I am grateful you all waded through a lot of exposition before getting to the strange climax at the end.
I remember when this happened I wrote family and friends about entering a kind of "twilight zone" that one block between subway and home. I wonder if they thought I finally had flipped out. :-)
jl--what a great thing to say! :-)
sky--I look forward to your red balloon!
Gerald--thank you so much for that wonderful validation on this one. i was earnestly trying to recreate my mood and then the surprise for the reader, extra earnest cuz it was true but so defiant of logic. sometimes real life scenarios are unbelievable and challenging to write about. I wouldn't have dared make up such a tale!
clay ball, great to see ya! thank you!!!
Steve Kenny, I appreciate that. I think I need to exercise my non-political voice more. Sporting of you to give it a hearing!
Lyle, thank you!!! I am so glad!!! I felt like I was a bit of a balloon myself the start of the story, bobbing about NYC without a plan for the rest of my Saturday night. And like my NYC pal balloon, kind of deflated. hah! nothing like having an animated inanimate object give one an escort home to transport one to an entirely new mood!
best, libby
I remember when this happened I wrote family and friends about entering a kind of "twilight zone" that one block between subway and home. I wonder if they thought I finally had flipped out. :-)
jl--what a great thing to say! :-)
sky--I look forward to your red balloon!
Gerald--thank you so much for that wonderful validation on this one. i was earnestly trying to recreate my mood and then the surprise for the reader, extra earnest cuz it was true but so defiant of logic. sometimes real life scenarios are unbelievable and challenging to write about. I wouldn't have dared make up such a tale!
clay ball, great to see ya! thank you!!!
Steve Kenny, I appreciate that. I think I need to exercise my non-political voice more. Sporting of you to give it a hearing!
Lyle, thank you!!! I am so glad!!! I felt like I was a bit of a balloon myself the start of the story, bobbing about NYC without a plan for the rest of my Saturday night. And like my NYC pal balloon, kind of deflated. hah! nothing like having an animated inanimate object give one an escort home to transport one to an entirely new mood!
best, libby
sly and witty toritto, you are too much. but you know, this happened to me back in 2008. i wonder if that balloon would have been considered so benign by me in 2013? hmmmm. how would an updated remake in 2013 of the original red balloon movie with a nefarious balloon drone? oh ick. I shouldn' t have gone there. but you started it! hah!
Lea, thanks for encouraging me with my less "urgent and aggressive" shall we say non-political voice! appreciate your visit so much. I am such a fan of you and the other commenters here with such powerful voices.
lunchlady2, thanks for endorsing the surreal in real life, my friend! it doesn't visit often but powerful when it does and nice to hear others have gone through their own private twilight zones!
jack, kind of thrilling to hear your powerful affirmation of the wonders, power and mysteries of existence!
theig86, thanks for stopping by!!!
o/e -- classy of you to visit and validate! :-)
james, love your comment. paraphrasing with that James drollness and perspective!! hah!!! No, I don't think we can chase after those synchronistic moments. They won't be nailed down. I'm glad I didn't interrupt the journey of that balloon. Perhaps there were other NYC movie audience members to be haunted that night as well. :-)
best, libby
Lea, thanks for encouraging me with my less "urgent and aggressive" shall we say non-political voice! appreciate your visit so much. I am such a fan of you and the other commenters here with such powerful voices.
lunchlady2, thanks for endorsing the surreal in real life, my friend! it doesn't visit often but powerful when it does and nice to hear others have gone through their own private twilight zones!
jack, kind of thrilling to hear your powerful affirmation of the wonders, power and mysteries of existence!
theig86, thanks for stopping by!!!
o/e -- classy of you to visit and validate! :-)
james, love your comment. paraphrasing with that James drollness and perspective!! hah!!! No, I don't think we can chase after those synchronistic moments. They won't be nailed down. I'm glad I didn't interrupt the journey of that balloon. Perhaps there were other NYC movie audience members to be haunted that night as well. :-)
best, libby
Hart, terrific stuff! ty. btw, love that Billy Preston song! That will be hovering in my head for a bit now I am sure.
Gary! :-) you just can't push the river when it comes to nature and the universe. they will do what they will do in spite of our logical expectations! I was actually willing that balloon to "do the right thing" for heaven's sake! The balloon behavior of bobbing randomly! Instead it confounded me.
Hey Rudy. Great to see you. thanks! :-)
best, libby
Gary! :-) you just can't push the river when it comes to nature and the universe. they will do what they will do in spite of our logical expectations! I was actually willing that balloon to "do the right thing" for heaven's sake! The balloon behavior of bobbing randomly! Instead it confounded me.
Hey Rudy. Great to see you. thanks! :-)
best, libby
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