Balloons seem to represent the same healing powers as flowers when it comes to bringing sick people in hospitals gifts to let them know we care.
I had read the news story below before I saw 'The Big Sick' and the movie poster with the balloon in it.
"A woman who nearly died at an Adele concert in Adelaide has launched a global campaign to raise awareness about severe allergies.
Doctor Pooja Newman was at the concert in March when hundreds of balloons covered in latex powder were released into the crowd, sending her into anaphylactic shock.
"I have an anaphylactic reaction to latex and when there was a sudden, unexpected balloon release, I realised I was in trouble as soon as I realised I couldn't breathe," she said."
"It made me realise that much more needed to be done to increase social awareness and safety for anaphylaxis," she said.
"One in five people have allergic disease and there's been a 7 per cent increase in mortality from allergy per year for the last seven years.
"Globalaai has eyes on allergy to reduce the suffering, the marginalisation and the death rate from anaphylaxis.""
I had written a post earlier in the year about Adele and Adelaide, but I hadn't heard of the balloon incident until last week -
ADELE-Aid, Skyfall, Cyclone Debbie and Synchromysticism?
I found it amusing that an Alzheimer's awareness group was using balloons to spread awareness of the disease, while obviously not aware of people who may have a fear of balloons killing them.
Then again, it's not a latex balloon by the looks of it, so maybe it wouldn't kill anybody, but it would still be creepy looking to someone with a balloon allergy, I think.
Putting a Sword to Alzheimer's?!
I had also read a short story about balloons and cigarettes in a book I had bought at the Byron Bay Writers Festival before seeing 'The Big Sick'.
Obviously reading between the lines cigarettes are bad for your health and will probably kill you eventually, but balloons represent a present of joy and healing, especially for hospital patients ... although I have seen balloons released at funerals, too.
I bought this great little book of short stories after seeing the author A.S. Patric speak on a panel at the writers festival, the subject being 'Intertwined Lives in Fiction'.
'Las Vegas for Vegans' is one of the best books of short story collections from the one author I have ever read in my life.
Patric is a true artist of the written word when it comes to painting mindscapes in your imagination, I think.
I didn't get to meet A.S. Patric at the festival, apart from hearing him speak in the above talk, but I did want to ask him if he had read Jeffrey J. Kripal's book 'Authors of the Impossible', because that book really is about 'Intertwined Lives in Fiction'.
Alas, our paths didn't cross again at the festival, but this talk he was in inspired me to buy his books,'Las Vegas for Vegans', and 'Black Rock White City', which was the Miles Franklin Award winner in 2016.
I don't really have a fear of flying, but I would prefer not to if I can.
A.S. Patric has a short story called 'Measured Turbulance' in his book, which I don't recommend reading if you are in the air, or about to fly.
Sully and the Ripple Effect
You will never get me to go up in a hot air balloon willingly though, as those things do fill me with fear.
And while I don't have any real bad allergies to everyday things like peanuts and balloons, I do have an allergic reaction to penicillin, which could kill me.
And reading the above story that I saw in my local paper is giving me anxiety about anxiety and my belly ballooning out if I don't exercise;-)
All of these allergies and fears are enough to give me a headache, but I'll have to try to find an alternative to codeine if I can, because that's not good for me either apparently.
I think that I'm starting to get sick of reading the news headlines, so I think I might go and have a rest in bed and read a book and hope for no nightmares;-)
Activists fight North Korea with balloons, TV shows and leaflets
'The World' Loses Hope?
"A woman who nearly died at an Adele concert in Adelaide has launched a global campaign to raise awareness about severe allergies.
Doctor Pooja Newman was at the concert in March when hundreds of balloons covered in latex powder were released into the crowd, sending her into anaphylactic shock.
"I have an anaphylactic reaction to latex and when there was a sudden, unexpected balloon release, I realised I was in trouble as soon as I realised I couldn't breathe," she said."
"Dr Newman said there was no warning latex balloons would be used at the concert so she could not protect herself and ended up in intensive care.
Now she is using the traumatic experience to create more awareness of serious allergies, launching a not-for-profit organisation called Globalaai to put a human face to the issue."It made me realise that much more needed to be done to increase social awareness and safety for anaphylaxis," she said.
"One in five people have allergic disease and there's been a 7 per cent increase in mortality from allergy per year for the last seven years.
"Globalaai has eyes on allergy to reduce the suffering, the marginalisation and the death rate from anaphylaxis.""
I had written a post earlier in the year about Adele and Adelaide, but I hadn't heard of the balloon incident until last week -
ADELE-Aid, Skyfall, Cyclone Debbie and Synchromysticism?
I also thought this piece of trivia from 'The Big Sick's IMDB page was amusing in relation to balloons and Adele -
"Kumail Nanjiani and Adeel Akhtar are the only two actors in their on-screen family of actual Pakistani origin.
The rest of the actors (Anupam Kher, Zenobia Shroff and Shernaz Treasurywala) are all Indian."
Then again, it's not a latex balloon by the looks of it, so maybe it wouldn't kill anybody, but it would still be creepy looking to someone with a balloon allergy, I think.
Putting a Sword to Alzheimer's?!
Obviously reading between the lines cigarettes are bad for your health and will probably kill you eventually, but balloons represent a present of joy and healing, especially for hospital patients ... although I have seen balloons released at funerals, too.
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| A.S. Patric, Michael Sala, Kayla Rae Whitaker and Sophie Hamley, the Friday of the BBWF |
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| 'Intertwined Lives in Fiction' at the Friday of the BBWF |
Patric is a true artist of the written word when it comes to painting mindscapes in your imagination, I think.
I didn't get to meet A.S. Patric at the festival, apart from hearing him speak in the above talk, but I did want to ask him if he had read Jeffrey J. Kripal's book 'Authors of the Impossible', because that book really is about 'Intertwined Lives in Fiction'.
Alas, our paths didn't cross again at the festival, but this talk he was in inspired me to buy his books,'Las Vegas for Vegans', and 'Black Rock White City', which was the Miles Franklin Award winner in 2016.
On the subject of skyfall, balloons, fears and allergies, I saw these two stories side by side in my local paper about a week ago.
A.S. Patric has a short story called 'Measured Turbulance' in his book, which I don't recommend reading if you are in the air, or about to fly.
Sully and the Ripple Effect
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| A scene with captions from the movie 'Sully' |
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