A resident of Upton, Massachusetts, made an unexpected discovery during a hike—a balloon with a secret message.
Tim Fobes was hiking along the Sandra Pond trail system in Westborough with his two daughters when they stumbled on the helium balloon.
"My oldest daughter pointed out the balloon in the water," Fobes told Newsweek. "I got a stick and fished it out with the intent of just popping it and throwing it away."
But when he popped the balloon, a note fell out.
"I wasn't able to read it, but by the looks of it, it was written in Russian," said Fobes.
Prompted by a desire to unravel the mystery, he turned to the online community for help.
"I posted it to Reddit in the hopes someone could translate it," he said.
Shared on r/Pics on Reddit, the post, including a picture of the note, gained over 36,000 upvotes and 1,400 comments.
Before long, a Redditor under the handle u/m4mu came to the rescue, providing a translation.
The translated text revealed a plea, perhaps addressed to a higher power, expressing a longing for growth, compassion and a world free from suffering.
"I ask for a miracle! For a new game in the development of humanity! Where there is no place for cruelty and suffering!" the message read.
"I can only imagine they had filled it with helium and let it go from somewhere a good distance away," Fobes speculated. "While they may have good intentions… the truth is, it's going to end up somewhere it shouldn't and become pollution and someone else's responsibility to clean up."
A Full Translation of the Letter
"Dear Lord,
As I strive for growth and reunion with you, it pains me to realize that beloved people are drifting away—not everyone prioritizes growth!
At a certain point, the primitivism is annoying.
I imagine how we all must be frustrating to you and the higher minds! It's terrible!
Therefore, besides mercy and unconditional acceptance of the foolishness of a child, there is nothing else to ask for.
I ask you for a miracle!
For a new game in the development of humanity! Where there is no place for cruelty and suffering!
I ask for mercy for humanity, which is decaying from within.
Just as often mastitis develops in a mother's chest, yet her eyes are still full of love for the one who creates this mastitis.
I ask for a miracle from you—for peace and love for our earth."
Reddit users reacted to the poignant message after reading the translation.
"The pain and grief in this letter hits hard," said one.
"American here. Please let this stand as a shining example of us not being so different after all," wrote another. "Most of us want the same damn thing. When will we stop letting the few ruin it for the rest of us?"
A different Reddit user added: "Although it's sad, and I'm an atheist, I'm so happy to see something on reddit associated with Russia or Russians that isn't horrible. "
In other comments, people shared their own experiences of finding unusual things.
One commenter wrote: "I had the remains of a lantern fall into my backyard last summer. The intact portion of it was mourning the loss of a young wife and mother, and had hand written notes from the husband and children on it. It was incredibly depressing to find."
Correction 02/29/24 10:55 a.m. ET: The spelling of Tim Fobes was corrected.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Alice Gibbs is a Newsweek Senior Internet Trends & Culture Reporter based in the U.K. For the last two years ... Read more
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