Balloon Boy Hoopla a Hoax?

When news that 6-year-old Falcon Heene had been found safe and sound after yesterday’s heart-stopping news-making adventure, I was so relieved and thanked the Lord.  I’m sure that many mothers and fathers who were watching could tell you that it was as if they were experiencing this horror with the Heene parents.

What was thought to be a several hours-long flight that could have ended very tragically was simple a vacant, runaway balloon with a scared little boy hiding in an attic.  Every single part of me wants to believe that this is all there is to the story.  But today’s front page shows that there is some speculation as to whether this could have been a hoax.  Could this be the case of a family wanting to make a reality show of their own?

The Heene family is no stranger to reality tv.  They appeared in two episodes of “Wife Swap” and Falcon’s parents were reportedly aspiring actors and filmmakers for quite some time.  I remember thinking yesterday, while all of this was going on, how ironic it was that this was happening to a reality show couple.  What are the odds?  But never in my wildest dreams did it cross my mind that a parent would concoct this story, involve this many helicopters, emergency responders, and media, all the while letting the world think that your son could be in real danger or dead, all for notoriety and money.  I will believe that this family is innocent of any wrongdoing until proven otherwise. . .if only for the fact that my head couldn’t handle the alternative.