Broughton Quarterly - Fall 2007 - (Page 11) 1000 Words ZIMBABWE Larry Broughton THE KIDS OF GWANDAVALE, a rural village in the Matopos Hills of southwest Zimbabwe, had never seen a balloon before, much less tried to blow one up. The tricky part for them was keeping it from flying out their mouths and into the air half inflated before they could tie it off. I brought the balloons to Africa to cut through the language barrier. Certain things in life, I’ve discovered, are universal: a smile is a smile anywhere on the planet, and kids go with balloons like peanut butter goes with jelly; it’s a perfect match. I love the simplicity of this image—and the way the long rays of the setting sun cut through the dust clouds created by their excitement. Watching these children play and laugh over something so simple was priceless. Their screams of delight are forever seared on my heart. Do you have a travel photo that’s worthy of 1000 Words? Send the image, along with your name and a brief description, to Editor@BroughtonQuarterly.com. www.BroughtonQuarterly.com 11 http://ww.BroughtonQuarterly.com
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