{"id":1282,"date":"2017-05-14T23:50:43","date_gmt":"2017-05-15T06:50:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/?p=1282"},"modified":"2017-05-15T01:22:41","modified_gmt":"2017-05-15T08:22:41","slug":"a-proper-airing-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/a-proper-airing-out\/","title":{"rendered":"A proper airing out"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>A night out with the clown is not all it’s cracked up to be.<\/p>\n

The clown strolls down the sidewalk his balloon hanging behind him, half inflated, like a dog being taken for a walk. What slim string holds a balloon to its master? It is convention. To a balloon being half inflated is to hang dejected. Not up. Not down. Just there. Any dreams the balloon once had have long since popped. Where do balloons go when they sail away aimlessly skyward? To salvation? Or are they ultimately eaten by the sun? I cannot tell you. Because if you look too long at the balloon it means you’re taking your eyes off the clown. The balloon is a diversionary tactic employed by clowns throughout the known world. The oldest trick in the book. When you develop a tingling excitement regarding the advertisement “balloon tricks,” you have already been ensnared in the trap.<\/p>\n

Balloons contain thoughts. Exclamations. Hopes and dreams. Each balloon, each balloon filled by a clown, is filled with thoughts, exclamations, hopes, and dreams. Every balloon a repository of such. Filled by a clown.
\nFrom where? From where?<\/p>\n

These things encased in artificial skin. Divided from the real world by a colorful but transparent wall. Turning the outside world into a fun house mirror of horrors, every day and accute. Of one color. I have one viewpoint. The result of one vantage point. The result of a definite imprisonment at the awkward hands of a clown.
\nThe clown sneaks up behind you and delivers a tentative touch. You feel deflated. There is laughter, not yours.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A night out with the clown is not all it’s cracked up to be. The clown strolls down the sidewalk his balloon hanging behind him, half inflated, like a dog being taken for a walk. What slim string holds a balloon to its master? It is convention. To a balloon being half inflated is to hang dejected. Not up. Not down. Just there. Any dreams the balloon once had have long since popped. Where do balloons go when they sail away aimlessly skyward? To salvation? Or are they ultimately eaten by the sun? I cannot tell you. Because if you...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[12,2],"tags":[160,161],"class_list":["post-1282","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-my-books","category-writing","tag-balloons","tag-clowns"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3u13S-kG","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4087,"url":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/daydream-believers\/","url_meta":{"origin":1282,"position":0},"title":"Daydream Believers","author":"David Raffin","date":"September 9, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Sophie tucked in for an afternoon nap. She didn\u2019t like the noise of the squabbling. It was disagreeable to her. She didn\u2019t like noisy train stations. Tried to hustle through them with cotton in her ears. But the sleeping cabin was warm, not too warm, and the noise was held\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "My books"","block_context":{"text":"My books","link":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/category\/books\/my-books\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2082,"url":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/her-story-of-ballooning\/","url_meta":{"origin":1282,"position":1},"title":"Her Story of Ballooning","author":"David Raffin","date":"December 28, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"An excerpt from the WIP \"Sigmund, Falling Up!\" Man has always dreamt of flight, free through the air. A dream attained. Through effort and persistence.","rel":"","context":"In "My books"","block_context":{"text":"My books","link":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/category\/books\/my-books\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/IMG_9020-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/IMG_9020-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/IMG_9020-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/IMG_9020-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/IMG_9020-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4439,"url":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/robots-get-me-robots-always-get-me\/","url_meta":{"origin":1282,"position":2},"title":"Robots get me. Robots always get me.","author":"David Raffin","date":"May 26, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Robots can tell jokes faster, and therefore more efficiently, than any human could. Mostly this is because of the comedy sub processor. Unfortunately this part is not upgradable. \u202aWait. Hold on right there. Unless you are a robot I don\u2019t think you\u2019re allowed to weigh in on the robot uprising.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Writing"","block_context":{"text":"Writing","link":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/category\/books\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2400,"url":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/bildungsroman-re-piped\/","url_meta":{"origin":1282,"position":3},"title":"Bildungsroman re-piped","author":"David Raffin","date":"January 14, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cIt is my sad duty to inform you that the \u2026president\u2026 was shot twenty-five minutes ago and has been transported to the hospital.\u201d The children in Frank\u2019s class cheered. It was not an uncommon occurrence. It happened in other classes. The teacher\u2019s face fell. He scowled at the children and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "My books"","block_context":{"text":"My books","link":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/category\/books\/my-books\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/22299004-D62A-4738-BA99-B1236FB817CF.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/22299004-D62A-4738-BA99-B1236FB817CF.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/22299004-D62A-4738-BA99-B1236FB817CF.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/22299004-D62A-4738-BA99-B1236FB817CF.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":318,"url":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/at-the-existential-sandwich-shop-taste-is-subjective\/","url_meta":{"origin":1282,"position":4},"title":"At the existential sandwich shop, taste is subjective","author":"David Raffin","date":"August 13, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"In the existential sandwich shop all sandwiches remind you existence is meaningless. But you still have to choose one. If, in the existential sandwich shop, you refuse to make a choice you will be reminded that, also, is a choice. In the existential sandwich shop anything can happen and often\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Writing"","block_context":{"text":"Writing","link":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/category\/books\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2025,"url":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/a-tragedy-of-the-circus\/","url_meta":{"origin":1282,"position":5},"title":"Aghast in three rings","author":"David Raffin","date":"November 22, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Take me to the circus Where the devils dare To balance at the precipice Up there in mid-air Sitting like a thinker Ass upon a chair Did I leave the stove on? The devil's mind declared. 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