Whoa.
You know those tall balloon figures that sway as if in the wind but it’s not really wind, it’s variable bursts of air from a compressor or something? The ones that look as if they’re about to fall over backward and then jerk upright? The ones used to attract attention to used-car lots and similar establishments? Sure you do, although my description might not convince you of that. This would be simpler if they had a name.
It’s like trying to tell you about the long, deep ditch running through dry ranchland and/or high scrub-forest. A rocky ditch, with a river way at the bottom of it – indeed, the river that cut through the colourful rock to make the ditch. You absolutely know this ditch, but you’ll be easier to convince of that if I call it by its name: the Grand Canyon.
Anyway, quickly now, what are those tall balloon figures called? I truly didn’t know until just now, when I googled “tall balloon figures that wave in the wind” and Google offered me various versions of “tube man” as well as various other names. Here, for instance, they lead with Air Dancers.
But what does an Air Dancer or a Wacky Inflatable Tube Man™ have to do with us? This.
When I saw this high-rise car-window reflection in the Timmy’s parking lot I thought first of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Upon closer inspection, though, I realized the high-rise was arched backward as much as sideways. You know, just like those tall balloon figures that sway as if in the wind but it’s not really wind, it’s variable bursts of air from a compressor or something. The ones that look as if they’re about to fall over backward and then jerk upright. A completely distressing thought when it involves a high-rise almost losing its balance adjacent to a parking lot in which I am standing.
Whoa.
Christine keeps telling me, “Jim, stand up straight!” Apparently my increasing age, and joints that creak, inclines me (notice the pun there) to walk around like a tube man.
Jim T – 🙂 It’s OK to wave(r) but Just. Don’t. Fall. I know two seniors who have fallen recently, and the time needed to heal their various injuries is time taken from activty to stay fit-ish and strong-ish. Time that’s hard to make up (especially at our age), so it’s a double hit. (PS – Maybe you could find a tube man wig. Christine would like that, I’m sure.)
I just saw 10 minutes ago online a short video of a man who was hired to be the “tube thing” because the plastic thing was broken or whatever. The man got up on a stand and waved his arms about, bent over at odd angles…
This coincidence thing happens every day to me. I won’t hear or read some girl’s name and then it appears in a book or on TV. For ten years I saw 111 or 1111 every day. That stopped, for now…
Barbara – 🙂 What do they call it? Synchronicity? Serendipity? Oddball coincidences? I’ve heard it explained as selective perception: that is, we notice only the repeats, not the tens of thousands of inputs that aren’t repeated. Maybe.
I like selective perception: I DO like patterns. Wrote my first book about them — The Pattern of Pattern. 😀
Barbara – 🙂 I suspect it’s like pareidolia. Once the brain is tuned to recognize certain shapes/patterns, it gets better at it – and that success is its own reward. When looking for sand dollars at various beaches along the West Coast, I definitely got better at spotting that distinctive shape.
Whooh, those do look like Tube Apartments! Which reminds me of the wavy-on-purpose architecture of some buildings in Spain. I wonder how many deliberate innovations in architecture have been inspired this way?
Laurna – Maybe the tube men were inspired by Spanish architecture? What fun. If I had the energy for more international travel I’d explore this topic: Which came first? And what else has ensued?