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

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.

Rock in the Snow

Rock in the Snow
January in Toronto

Friday, June 20, 2008

Food Stamps? Not this year. September, 1975: Gainesville, FL

I was successful so far this year in keeping to my goal of not taking a job. I had performed much work, but nothing I regarded as job commitment. There were enough resources available to provide food. Sometimes even enough would show up that I could provide for others less fortunate. Being on the road, meant, I did not have to come up with funds to provide for utilities, rent, mortgage, insurance, taxes or the like. Besides food, I was hooked on tobacco, so I did have small expenses. Food stamps were meant to aid low income residents who had a place to prepare food. They hardly ever crossed my path.
One time, someone had a large quantity reportedly stolen from Florida. They were being sold on the street in New Orleans. They did not seem to go to those in need since even being sold for half price, they required an investment to begin. Those like me who had to scrounge for a smoke, could not invest in half price food stamps. Besides they were illegal--not a good deal. Another time, In Wenatchee, Washington, a fellow obtained some while on the road. He qualified because he had a permanent residence and was only away from home seeking work. I tried once to get some in Alabama, but failed since I had no place to prepare food.
Now I was visiting Karl, and he encouraged me to get some, in order to help with food expenses.
Karl had just separated from the US Navy and he and Bonnie were beginning to settle in Florida. Besides providing for me they had two young kids to feed. They agreed to let me use kitchen facilities and that made me eligible to receive food stamps. I marched off to apply. I filled out the required paperwork. One question asked me my annual income. It did not provide room for explanation, so I just wrote $300. That seemed about right for income I stumbled across while focusing on not having a job. The young social worker, shook her head in disbelief. “ How do you live on this?” she asked.” Curtly, I replied, “ I just eat, sleep, breathe, pee, shit, fart, and sometimes fuck. It’s a simple life style.” She was intrigued but not amused. After consulting with her superior, she announced, “I’ll give you stamps this month, but before I can give you any next month, you need to explain how you get by on so little money.” I wasn’t sure I would be around next month, but agreed.
I took the book of stamps and went back to Karl and Bonnie’s trailer. I was supposed to keep separate food, but instead gave the stamps to Bonnie to assist with shopping. It probably more than made up for the food I used, since it was only shortly after that I felt the urge to move on. I never had to go back and explain to the nice young social worker how I managed without becoming beholden to the beast.

©
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Blog Archive

About Me, Part One

My photo
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

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.