Waiting for the pop!!!

My grandson left his balloon at our house yesterday, which was ok as long as it stayed over in the corner out of the way. Did I tell you I have a balloon phobia? As long as the balloon is just there and no one is touching it I’m ok with that but if someone picks it up and starts messing around with it I start to get uneasy. Pushing on it, or making it squeak or anything that makes me think it might pop then I have my hands over my ears or I’m just plain out of the room.

I don’t know where my balloon phobia came from for sure, but I’m guessing it might have started back as a child when we played a silly game during our 4-H meetings. One game went like this: the group was divided in to two teams. Each person on the team was given a balloon. When your turn came it was a race to see who could blow their balloon up the fastest & run to a chair across the room and sit on the balloon until it popped. I hated that game.

My phobia expanded to anything that might go pop. Like fireworks on the 4th of July; fake car bombs & especially the string poppers tied to the back screen door as a booby-trap. The booby-trap on the door was a favorite of my brother Owen and much to his delight I got caught more times than I can count, before I wised up to his tricks & sent my sister Karen through the door before me.

I don’t even like to open the Dough-boy biscuits that come in a roll. I tend to grab the strip with one hand straight out with my shoulder to my ear on one side and my hand over the other ear. I shake the rolled biscuits until the paper is off, then I take the roll & hit it as hard as I can again the front of my stove handle or the edge of the kitchen counter-top. Doing it that way I feel I have control of the pop.

Tonight my goofy cat Mel spied the balloon in the corner and wouldn’t leave it alone. As I was watching the 10:00 news he started batting it around with his paws. I tried calling kitty-kitty to distract him, but noooooooo he wouldn’t leave it alone. I could see his claws out……..

Well now you know why I’m in the computer room writing. Would you believe Mel, must have given up on the balloon before it popped. Probably safe to go watch Jay Leno now.

Think I’ll be sending the balloon home with the grandson when he comes over tomorrow, unless it ends up in the trash first.

Story ID:	939
Written by:	Cynthia Jo Ross (bio, contact, other stories)
Organization:	Lens to the Past
Story type:	Musings, Essays and Such
Location:	Towanda Kansas USA
Year:	2006