There Is Always An Excuse
There are few things I’ve experienced in my short to medium span of lifetime that are more fascinating than watching a hot air balloon launch.
The process of watching flames inflate a massive canvas canopy in order to elevate a structure is a marvel. It is both scientifically intriguing and visually exciting. Gravity is being thwarted by hot air and then propels people thousands of feet into the atmosphere with nothing but a wicker basket to contain them. Oh, and there are pretty colors too.
The Setup
Friends of ours help a local hot air balloon company, Liberty Balloon Company, with the setup, chasing, and then stuffing all the bits and bobs back into a trailer. With this kind of inside man, I have knowledge of when some of these balloon launches are going to happen. It is no secret, mind you. However, when I get pinged on my phone of an upcoming launch I feel as though I’m privy to intel on a top secret escapade.
The other day I received intelligence in the form of an encoded message (text message) and after much decoding I recognized that most, if not all, the characters were in fact english letters. Spliced together they equated to the intent to launch a hot air balloon with destination coordinates and estimated time of departure. In other words, it was an invite to watch them at Letchworth State Park around 6PM.
Having witnessed these in the past (read about that here), I was excited at first. A chance to be up close and not inside a hot air balloon sounds like a great way to finish off a summer evening. Grab a camera, hope for perfect lighting conditions, relax with my family, take time to get away from the house and enjoy the outdoors. Why would I not want that?
The Excuse
Since having our son our life has been, how you say, different. Absolutely for the better, but life has changed. I can’t quite put my finger on it. It is almost as if an entire human being has been gifted to you that is completely dependent on you for everything minus the air he breathes. While the value and blessing he brings to our lives is beyond words, there are certain challenges that come with this glorious responsibility.
It has been easy for me to put aside personal enjoyments for the sake of my new found joy. However, that doesn’t mitigate my enjoyment of those things. Photography has been a passion of mine for many years, and unfortunately, that has been the most neglected pastime as of late. When my boy is awake, I want to be with him. When he is asleep, I’m exhausted and want to stare at a wall until my brain is capable of human interaction. Excuses not to take photos come naturally at this point.
I had a long day at work. My son didn’t take the best nap. The wife is exhausted from caring for my son all day. I really should go home and help out around the house.
None of these are untrue. They aren’t even bad excuses. As a husband, I should care enough to put aside things I enjoy to care for the better things in life, namely my family. However, that is why I have a wife.
After telling her about my super top secret encoded message, she immediately responded with an equally encoded message that translated to, “We should go.” I pushed back. This was something for me to enjoy. Though I knew I would love to go, I knew there might be other more important things to take care of or a tiny human that needed my attention. She insisted, and I’m so thankful that she did.
Being perfect in every way, my wife knew that I needed time to enjoy one of my favorite hobbies. When I have the freedom to enjoy my favorite hobbies, I’m far more equipped emotionally to endure the new challenges life can bring. Not only that, but she recognized that doing things like this as a family would serve to create long lasting memories we can cherish together.
While these photos are pretty cool, the depth of memories, love, and family far surpass the beauty. My family pushed me to put aside current cares and worries and to just enjoy a moment. A moment I was fortunate enough to capture with my camera.
Also, if I was ever confronted with the inquiry of whether or not I’d fly in a hot air balloon, I’d respond with a resounding ‘no.’ No excuses. No memories. No.
I really should learn my manners and at least add a ‘thank you’ to the tail end of my rejection. Baby steps, Joshua.