Yesterday, I headed out towards New England with the intent of finding some helpfulness to engage me. On the way I called ahead to notify some friends my journey was headed their way. One of them divulged it was her birthday. So, I promptly decided to head to Dartmouth MA and deliver a greeting and gift. The first catch was that I felt it important to honor my vow of not using the Interstate highway system, nor road maps. Interesting. A journey that I had previously made many times in around four hours took over ten. But by sticking to my pledge, I was granted some tiny but valuable gifts. Foremost was that I was treated to some terrain that until then I only zipped by and never had the chance to view up close nor stop and absorb.
During the whole journey I meditated about automobile travel and how it has changed in my lifetime and about how society has likewise been altered as auto voyages have increased both in range and speed. By virtue of being in slow traffic and some stop lights, I was able to focus on local sites. Between Newtown and Southbury, CT there are a variety of antique shops and variety stores. Stopping in and talking to some storekeepers provided me with a good contact that more than compensates for whatever advantages can be got hold of by speedy travel. When I retrace this route, it will feel more familiar and I have some stopping places.
My last desire was fulfilled that when I arrived at my friend’s house and a clogged drain, leaky faucet, and broken light fixture were calling for attention. So today begins with purpose and focus on part of my call. Next we shall see what is added.
Returning to my blog with a new story line. For the past year, i have taken up a daily practice of setting rocks to balance. Here is the story.
Welcome to Balanced Rocks: Pictures and Stories
Beginning March 16,2010, I began a journey of balancing rocks. I hold to the practice of setting to balance at least five sculptures a day, sometimes, many more. Of these I take lots of pictures and videos. While conducting this adventure, I have been introduced to an incredible unfolding story. Additionally, I discovered this phenomenon is manifesting worldwide. As I post pictures and stories, I found many others similarly engaged and sharing their works. Additionally, as folks come upon me performing my work, many want to find out how this is done and try themselves. This blog shares this work in both pictures and stories. Enjoy
Yin/Yang
A seeming impossibility becomes possible
Rock Balancing: The Beginning
On a fine summer day, sometime in August, 2009, I was visiting family in Toronto. Like most folks spending summer in a large city, we used up as much time as we could finding outdoor events that would cool us. One afternoon, we headed to the Beaches section of East Toronto. After spending some time playing in a large sandbox in the shade with my grandkids and some of their newfound companions, we headed to the Boardwalk that extends from Balmy Beach to Kew Gardens. Ella accompanied me, Liam took off with his mom, Natalie. They ventured down the boardwalk, Ella and I headed onto the sand toward the water’s edge. Halfway there we encountered what looked like a small size Stonehenge.
About a dozen sculptures were gathered together in a rough circle. Each was a stack of two or three rocks balanced one on another. The tallest one was slightly taller than Ella, who was small average height for a five year older. All were in the neighborhood of three feet and four feet tall. What immediately jumped out was the precarious nature of the balancing. Most points of contact were miraculously slight. Most seemed to be standing on a point. Two more folks were witnessing this amazing display. We imagined that there must be small metal rods embedded at the point of contact, or else some kind of glue was used. Each of us peered from close low angles to detect what could account for this mystical display. Ella, not being so cautious, toppled one structure over. Luckily, it did not land on her.
I hurried over and picked up the fallen rock. I saw no evidence of a rod or glue. It indeed had been balanced on its pedestal. I lifted it up and tried to place it back where I reckoned it had been balanced. I cautioned Ella, to be careful and not upset any more sculptures and went about the task of finding balance. I was not successful and struggled immensely but did not find the magic spot where stability could be achieved. After a lengthy effort, an attractive Asian woman about my age approached and gently nudged me aside offering to demonstrate her work. She pointed to the spot she would set the stone upon. She called it by a foreign name. To me it looked like a slight dimple.
Placing the small end of the upper rock into that hollow, she deftly and quickly moved it around, slightly twisting and cajoling it into position. The sight of this slender woman with longish graying hair performing an intricate dance with a rock slightly larger than her head emanated calmness. It seemed only the ends of her fingers were used to achieve these small movements. Apparently, equilibrium was close. Shortly she was done and withdrew her palms which naturally assumed an open prayer posture. The rock I had grappled with was majestically resting in its previous stable state. She next went over and reset two other structures, I had not noticed were also amiss. I just took them to be part of the rubble strewn about the beach. Now all the display was standing and providing a small sense of order in our chaotic world.
I never got this woman’s name, but heard her story. She had set this display up for the purpose of taking pictures, one of which she hoped to use for a cover of a book she was publishing. Unfortunately not getting her name makes it difficult to find her book. But I carried away with me the sight of her presentation and the incredible feeling I had witnessed an amazing ethereal event. I also felt an urge to explore this practice.
About a dozen sculptures were gathered together in a rough circle. Each was a stack of two or three rocks balanced one on another. The tallest one was slightly taller than Ella, who was small average height for a five year older. All were in the neighborhood of three feet and four feet tall. What immediately jumped out was the precarious nature of the balancing. Most points of contact were miraculously slight. Most seemed to be standing on a point. Two more folks were witnessing this amazing display. We imagined that there must be small metal rods embedded at the point of contact, or else some kind of glue was used. Each of us peered from close low angles to detect what could account for this mystical display. Ella, not being so cautious, toppled one structure over. Luckily, it did not land on her.
I hurried over and picked up the fallen rock. I saw no evidence of a rod or glue. It indeed had been balanced on its pedestal. I lifted it up and tried to place it back where I reckoned it had been balanced. I cautioned Ella, to be careful and not upset any more sculptures and went about the task of finding balance. I was not successful and struggled immensely but did not find the magic spot where stability could be achieved. After a lengthy effort, an attractive Asian woman about my age approached and gently nudged me aside offering to demonstrate her work. She pointed to the spot she would set the stone upon. She called it by a foreign name. To me it looked like a slight dimple.
Placing the small end of the upper rock into that hollow, she deftly and quickly moved it around, slightly twisting and cajoling it into position. The sight of this slender woman with longish graying hair performing an intricate dance with a rock slightly larger than her head emanated calmness. It seemed only the ends of her fingers were used to achieve these small movements. Apparently, equilibrium was close. Shortly she was done and withdrew her palms which naturally assumed an open prayer posture. The rock I had grappled with was majestically resting in its previous stable state. She next went over and reset two other structures, I had not noticed were also amiss. I just took them to be part of the rubble strewn about the beach. Now all the display was standing and providing a small sense of order in our chaotic world.
I never got this woman’s name, but heard her story. She had set this display up for the purpose of taking pictures, one of which she hoped to use for a cover of a book she was publishing. Unfortunately not getting her name makes it difficult to find her book. But I carried away with me the sight of her presentation and the incredible feeling I had witnessed an amazing ethereal event. I also felt an urge to explore this practice.
Rock in the Snow
January in Toronto
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Blog Archive
-
▼
2008
(251)
-
▼
February
(22)
- Mixed Feelings: Dartmouth, MA
- Honoring a commitment: Dartmouth, MA
- Gotta get a bigger bus: Ridgefield, CT
- Another day of walking: North Salem, NY
- Walking to New England: North Salem, NY
- Staying safe: Mine Hill, NJ
- Looking is one thing; seeing is another: Lambertvi...
- On the way with direction : New Hope, PA
- Settled into the Unsettling: New Hope, PA
- Where the Rubber meets the Road: Princeton, NJ
- A day at the beach: Point Pleasant, NJ
- A Hobo's day off: Point Pleasant, NJ
- Taking Care: Milford,NJ
- Caring for my Pony: Riegelsville, PA
- Stopping and Going: Allentown, PA
- On the loose without a Map: Norristown,PA
- Now I'm gone: Near Media, PA
- Staying another day: Wallingford, PA
- Cleaning up: Wallingford, PA
- Fits and Starts: Auburn, NY
- A name for my car: Whitney Point, NY
- Last day on the Job: Wallingford, PA
-
▼
February
(22)
About Me, Part One
- Baba Rob
- Rock Balancing: The Beginning. What began as a journal of my travels took a hiatus when I began to settle in Ithaca NY. In the meantime, I took up the practice of setting rocks to balance. I returned to my blog to begin recording this story
Part, The second
On Easter Sunday Morning, 2008, I made a decision to settle in the Ithaca New York area. At the same time, I decided to continue to post my blog, However, the stories now will come from the archive stored internally. These will be the stories I gathered while on previous journeys and never entrusted to paper. The date of each posting will not reflect the date of the story being related but will mark the date that narrative got inscribed.
Carry wood
33 years later
Part: The third
I took a brief hiatus from my daily blog writing. I did not know the direction it would take. part of me thought I would abandon it. It turns out I missed it. The old title "On the Road Again' is no longer apt. It appears I am settling. The travel stories will age to a point, when I will probably resusitiate them and do something with them. I dusted off some old stories and begin this new series.
Thr first is one was written two years ago. I edited it and begin again a series that is more apropos to someone settling in upper New York State. They are meant to warm, amuse, educate and sometimes inflame.
Thr first is one was written two years ago. I edited it and begin again a series that is more apropos to someone settling in upper New York State. They are meant to warm, amuse, educate and sometimes inflame.
No comments:
Post a Comment