The largest globe sculpture in the world: a metaphor for relationships

In a world of ever-increasing change, relationship rules are constantly being re-examined. The more fluid the forms of relationship are, the more likely we are to discover what works. The World’s Largest Globe Sculpture© is an event that illustrates some of the key principles of what works in a relationship.

Here is the vision:

The first rosy fingers of sunrise stretch as far as Tom Lee Park, along the Mississippi River. A group of dedicated artists, quietly joking, begin the monumental task of inflating and twisting 50,000 long, skinny balloons to form the LARGEST BALLOON SCULPTURE IN THE WORLD. Hundreds of volunteers, artists, friends, adults and children from all religious and ethnic groups come together to create this magnificent non-competitive community arts experience.

Rules for the world’s largest balloon sculpture:

I. Everyone is right. You can’t go wrong with a balloon sculpture. Adults and children can participate in this pinnacle art experience feeling safe and comfortable, as well as challenged.

Security is the most critical requirement of the relationship. Only in the context of a protective relationship can the partners find the courage to break down the barriers between them and, more importantly, the barriers to being aware of their own feelings. The relationship is the door to discover ourselves. Without the security of knowing that our partner is willing to honor and respect us, we hide behind our defenses and inevitably blame her or ourselves for the misery we feel. Security arises when we accept and maintain certain rules of the game:

1. When we speak, we are heard. We are not judged, criticized, evaluated or analyzed. We recognize that we will always be in the process of growth and that mistakes are learning devices that allow us to readjust our thinking and behavior.

2. We can count on honesty in our communication and are willing to tell the truth even if we are afraid. This is a foundation for trust that allows us to break through to deeper levels of intimacy and spirituality. Some people believe that aging is a physical process of continuous decomposition of the body. Actually, growing old is the opportunity to acquire wisdom. It provides us with a broader understanding of life and its many forms. It brings acceptance, forgiveness and gratitude. Speaking our truth is a necessary discipline to grow in wisdom.

The security of knowing that we can do no wrong with the Globe Sculpture allows us to play together with the full enthusiasm that makes life worth living. This is the kind of nonjudgmental acceptance that makes the relationship enriching.

II. If your balloon breaks, you get an automatic hug (optional). Balloons are always a bit risky. When they appear suddenly, our nervous system can use the hug to relax. Hugs reward us for taking risks.

Life, and especially relationships, require risk. Without risk there is no growth. The Book of Runes refers to it as “jumping into the void empty-handed”. When we make mistakes, and we will, we often feel hurt and disappointed. The warmth and support of hugs give us the relief our body and mind need to regain our energy and stability.

For most of us, hugging heals. For most of us, hugs surround us safely and comfortably and allow us to experience what we feel without having to edit or control. Often relationships become so immersed in what is being accomplished that the ability to comfort, encourage, and nurture is completely obscured. Hugging can be a request for connection, an offer of support, a way of saying “you are important to me.” It unites the walls and spaces that we imagine separate us from our loved ones.

Hugs are optional, because some people feel overwhelmed or uncomfortable being touched. For those deeply physically hurt, hugs can be terrifying. Sometimes people have cultural issues with the intimacy they associate with hugging. In relationships, the phrase ‘give me some space’ has become a common phrase among people to reduce the tension that comes from being too close. We honor that in the world’s largest globe sculpture.

third The balloon sculpture ends with a bang, not a whimper. Nothing looks worse than an old, limp, abandoned balloon sculpture. At the height of its creation, it will be lowered to the ground and crushed with gleeful relish. For each participant, this should release at least a week of pent-up aggression and frustration.

Ancient wisdom tells us that to create something new, something old is often destroyed. As we grow in relationship, the old ways of relating, learned in dysfunctional homes or from superficial television images, must be abandoned like old skin or an old wardrobe. The essence of a peak experience like the world’s largest balloon sculpture is that it has a beginning and an end. Many of the unworkable patterns we bring into a relationship must run their course before we recognize that they must end in order for us to move on. The forms of relationship can change radically to maintain the level of quality of a connection.

As totally engrossed as we are in the excitement of the balloon sculpture, we know it will end and we will stomp on it with joy. All signs of it will disappear. But the essence of the experience will stay with us. This is what happens with the old relationship models that we are discarding. We are always in the process of recreating life.

IV. Some mechanical air inflation or bottled air should be used to prevent hernias and hyperventilation. For this purpose, I have invented the inflation station. Bottled air cylinders are hooked to sixty taps that allow adults and children to fill balloons and bring them into the sculpture.

In the relationship, sometimes we must seek support and education abroad. That can take the form of individual or group therapy, 12-step groups, communication classes, or Inner Family Systems work.

In a sense, as we learn what a healthy relationship looks like, we also learn what’s going on inside of us that prevents us from being able to offer what we’ve learned. At that point, it’s not the relationship that needs to be worked on. It is our individual responsibility to get the help we need to release our own inner bondage. We must be willing to face the fear, anger, grievance, and shame that we have been carrying around with us. Help is all around us when we are finally willing to ask for it.

Copyright Mark Weiss, 2009