Balloon

Ever since the start of his professional career he had imagined himself as the Man in the Field in the popular Internet joke about the Man in the Balloon. "You're in a balloon," he imagined himself replying when Balloon Man, having been blown off course in a strong wind and now lowering himself into an unfamiliar field, asked where he was now. It was a satire of business communication, with Balloon Man representing clueless management and Field Man representing the informed but valueless information provided by staff. He had seen printed emails with some form of this tale posted on several cubicle walls over the years, and at one point had even been placed in that position of honor within his own corporate-sponsored domain. Yet, as his years of experienced led him to positions of greater influence in the corporate world, he realized that he was becoming more like Balloon Man, more often seeking quick answers from his colleagues rather than finding answers on his own.