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A Central Park Balloon Man With a Heart

Victor Kerlow

Dear Diary:

At the East 59th Street entrance to Central Park, I stopped to buy a balloon sculpture for my granddaughter.

Without a posted price list, the artist created a flower, posed for a picture and presented his finished piece to a delighted child. When he asked, “Is $3 O.K.?” I gave him a five. He promised to do any repairs if it broke during the day. Who would not expect an 11-month-old to destroy it in a just a few minutes?

When we left the park a few hours later, one of the six balloons had popped. Honoring his guarantee, he carefully performed the reconstructive surgery.

No lawyers, no written contracts, no haggling â€" just a simple business transaction between two reasonable people on a beautiful day.

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