Joy loves my iPhone. But is she amazed by this marvel of technological wizardry? Is she stunned that she can Facetime with an aunt who is six hundred miles away? Is she astonished that I can use GPS to find my way to Kat’s apartment in Chicago while 800 million other iPhone users are also navigating by GPS? Nope, nope, and nope.
So I wasn’t sure if she would be amazed at the sight of seventy hot-air balloons getting inflated with fire. But we decided to find out.
Last night I made my way to the eastern end of Forest Park using GPS, and then had two phone calls (with Deb and Peggy) before I met up with everyone to experience the annual Balloon Glow. We ended up around three hundred feet away from the balloons, but they were still impressively large.
In the background were the trees of Forest Park, the skyscrapers along Kingshighway, and the sun setting over Missouri in the southwest.
Suddenly, as the brilliant, vibrant colors of the sunset began to fade into beautiful pastels, the balloon pilots began blasting fire into their balloons, creating a mesmerizing display of color. The balloons remained tethered to the ground, but it was something to see.
Joy enjoyed the blasts of fire and color, but I think she mostly enjoyed mingling with the other kids around us. She played catch with some slightly older kids, wandered into a semicircle of lawn chairs where a family was having dinner, and ran in front of a golf cart that had to brake suddenly.
Aunt Ashley played with Joy while Peggy filmed. I followed Joy as she wandered farther and farther away from home base.
A preteen girl came up to Deb and said, “Does Joy have Down syndrome?”
“Yes, she does.”
“My name is Lilly Kate, and I have autism spectrum disorder. I love kids with special needs!”
Lilly and the other children were very sweet to Joy. Joy, of course, was happy to be able play with so many other kids.
Then it was time to head back to Peggy’s house. We began our walk toward Lindell and the Central West End. As we exited the park, I said to Peggy, “Where are you parked?”
“At my house.”
“I was afraid you were going to say that.” (My car was at the Hi-Pointe Theater. Long story.)
We wandered down Kingshighway to Maryland to Euclid, past busy restaurants, gorgeous homes and apartment buildings, ice cream parlors… and made it back. I had walked over five miles over the past two hours. Joy was fine. She was in the stroller.
The Forest Park balloons launched this morning for a one-hour race. I didn’t witness that. But I think I can imagine what it was like. I have Joy, and she’s the fire that makes me lighter than air.
Joy Elizabeth 