One Day I'll Fly Away...

As humans, we spend a lot of time on the ground (duh). Unless you are George Clooney's character in "Up in the Air" or the cute old man in "Up" then your feet are usually firmly planted on the ground (any George Strait fans out there...name that song).

Don't get me wrong. I like to pound the pavement.  I like being able to use my legs and tire my body out. Thank goodness for gravity.  But sometimes, just sometimes, I get the knack to be up in the air, weightless.  And I'm not talking about jumping on an airplane and jetsetting around the world.  I think Carl Fredrickson of "Up" had the right idea.  Why not just tie a whole bunch of balloons to your house and fly to a magical place?  Wouldn't it be great to get away from all of the grime and dirt and concrete that covers our world?  I want to fly north like the crows and south like the geese

The main reason, though, to attempt to be airborne is to see things from a different perspective. What does the world look like from the air?  Do the fields and cities fit together like a piece-work quilt?  Do the millions of trees blend into a goregous green canvas that blankets the globe?  Is there really a layer of smog over some of those cities?  Hopefully those balloons will get us above that ugliness...

Like every runner, I have my usual running routes that get used on a weekly basis.  I know the cracks in the sidewalk, where the cops hide in the early morning haze and how long the "walk" signs blink for. I'm comfortable with the routine-ness of it. I blame my mother for being comfortable in a rut (sorry, mom).  What I need every now and again is a different perspective.  What better way to do that than go up in the air (and change my running routes)?  Anyone know where I can get a thousand helium balloons?

Update: according to Pixar (through Twitter), Carl Fredrickson from "Up" had to attach 10,297 balloons to his house to get it to lift off the ground.  My rough estimate of 1,000 was slightly off.  Don't hold it against me...I'm not one of those magic guessers who win the "count how many jellybeans are in the jar" contests.