On our way around town today, we stopped at a red light and saw a silver balloon floating free, just skimming over the ground, string trailing. It was heading straight for the crosswalk, and it crossed against the light.

Car after car was going through the intersection at the crosswalk, and certainly not slowing for the balloon. It drifted on, closer and closer to the traffic. The stream of cars stopped, and it looked like the balloon would make it across the street.

Then we saw the bus.

It was a big Metro bus, one of the accordion kind, barreling through a stale green light. The balloon was right in its path. It was going to be ugly.

The bus turned right. The balloon made it across. At this point we were totally cheering for it. It turned to the right, to cross the other crosswalk. It was like a scene out of American Beauty, or the Red Balloon.

It made it across the SECOND crosswalk despite traffic, onto a grass patch, where the balloon's string slowed it down, as if it were breathing hard. The oncoming traffic stopped. The light changed, and I turned left. Ain't anthropomorphism grand?