To Counterbalance: A Manifesto
One cannot simply catch another to counterbalance. Much like valuable moments of support,
it requires the active engagement and trust of both parties to successfully counterbalance
in mind, body and spirit.
It is more than just the simple definition of “a weight that balances out another weight”.
This lack of poeticism reduces us to lumps of flesh and bone
without intention or risk of failure–
both are important.
It is more similar to the use of counterbalances within structures
made from the hands and hearts of humans,
as something that holds an entire building upright.
Without the intention towards a larger whole, structures fail.
It is the moment of a movement where you let your fear and anxiety loose
and trust the other person is doing the same –to move in unison–
to create balance between the two of you.
A moment that is never the same, each time a new performance. It may get easier,
but it does not and cannot be practiced to the point of perfection.
It is because we are ever changing within ourselves that the connectivity between two
is constantly shifting as well.
We are still individuals at heart, still have our own autonomous thoughts and dreams
and pain we hold inside ourselves. We are only human and complex in this way.
Despite how heavy they are, our experiences are our own. They are not something to catch,
or something to be taken from us.
They are something to counterbalance – to recognize with compassion,
to hold and treasure, to share the load for a while.
To actively engage, to trust - both in yourself and with another is to truly support in a moment of counterbalance.