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A Picture & 100 Words

A Picture & 100 Words: Find Your Balloon

Published 6 months ago • 1 min read

The Girl With the Balloon

Her eyes met the woman in black—
the guardian of the floating creatures.
There it was, bouncing forth from the pack
with blue eyes and pink pants.
​

She pointed, and it was affixed to her wrist.
Before she knew it
the balloon was a kite—
a gliding puppet on a string.
​
They took to the dirt and then the sky.
Weightless and dancing among trees.
When she ran, it flew.
And when it flew, she did, too.

Joy lives in this moment. We envy the boy rolling in the grass with his dog and the girl running through the park with her balloon. We are so good at complicating every thought, feeling, emotion, and conversation. It's no wonder we want to escape. When we rush through life, we are saying, "This moment sucks. I'd rather have another."

“How we relate to time is how we relate to happiness. Here’s how life works for most people: They’re in a hurry to be somewhere they’re not. Or somewhere is a time. A time in the future when you’re further along. Wherever somewhere is, I can tell you it’s not where happiness is. Happiness is here. Even if here is not where you want to be.”
​
— Ian Stanley

We forget that life can be as simple and enjoyable as a balloon on a string. Somewhere inside of us, there's a little boy or girl who was told they weren't enough, and that took them out of a moment ... or many. Be there for that version of you now.

Set aside 30 minutes today to play. That could mean pulling a prank on your significant other, painting with your fingers, or peeing your pants (it's cool again).

Find your balloon.

With much love,

Joseph "I popped the balloon and went over 100 words" Dalton

A Picture & 100 Words

Joseph Dalton

Through words and images, my newsletter captures my dance with the universe as a creative professional. The goal is to enrich your life in some small way, whether by transporting you to a faraway place or embedding you in this moment. Sign up to gain early or exclusive access to photos, ebooks, prints, articles, and other creative leaps into the dark.

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