Right now, I'm hoping the Boy in the Balloon is hiding in a closet somewhere, afraid of being punished for letting his dad's silver flying saucer loose to fly willy-nilly around the Colorado sky.
I'm also fearful that 6-year-old boy has met a tragic end.
Either way, his parents face severe punishment in the court of public opinion. Boys get into everything, they will say. Boys seek out trouble, they say. If there's a hole in a fence, an uncovered well, a curious child will find it.
Do responsible parents allow access to a giant inflated balloon? Of course not. Go easy on them, I say. Their boy has flown away, beyond their help. They are being punished enough.