Tension and Tractors: A Story of Balance
by Andy Fraenkel
Over the course of time, (a long time) Mother Earth corrects all things
My grown daughter and I were at a county fair recently. It was one of those
weeks where each day is painfully hot. The heat just robs your energy and you
can’t wait for the evening and a merciful breeze to come along. The big evening
events that pack the grandstands are the demolition derbies and the tractor &
truck pulls. If you closed your eyes, you could catch a glimpse of the mindset
that must have brought the crowds to the Coliseum to watch and cheer the
gladiators as they battled one another.
I’ve always felt that each of us has great creative and spiritual potency. It’s
a gift that we are called upon to tend to in humility. Sometimes these powers
lie neglected and dormant. We can’t seem to find the time to allow our creative
voice to emerge. But then again we can’t help not being creative. For the demo
derby, some of the drivers wrote messages or did interesting paint jobs on the
heaps they are driving. Maybe it’s our culture’s version of the Buddhists who
spend days making a beautiful mandala out of sand, only to destroy it.
More often than not, people grossly misdirect their creative powers. They use
their creative powers to devise elaborate schemes to cheat and steal, to exploit
people and resources. And the more power they think they control, or desire to
control, the greater their inner turmoil.
There is much tension and stress in the world. Of course, we cannot live without
natural tension and stress. We cannot stand, or walk or speak or laugh without
tension. Even to think, there has to be tension. So there is good tension and
bad tension. The question is what type of tension do we want to bring into the
world. What are we actually creating by our words and actions?
How to create a balance of proper tension is a science. In previous ages, the
inhabitants of the earth were well aware of this science. They understood that
one should not eat too much nor too little; not sleep too much nor too little;
and to consume a proper share of the natural resources, only accepting what is
necessary for the well being of body, mind and spirit. They understood that
their words and actions could maintain or disrupt the balance in the lives of
their families, communities, and of the world itself.
Now the tractor drivers, as did the sages and shamans of old, also know about
balance and tension. They know they have to be careful as to how they use their
vehicles. Their job is to pull a huge weight. But they can’t pull it for very
long; otherwise the vehicle could be damaged.
At the tractor pull, each machine takes its place on the runway. The exhaust
shaft that rises from the center of the hood conjures up visions of the monolith
from the movie “2001: A Space Odyssey”. The engine is revved up. It sends out a
piercing, bloodthirsty war cry, a vengeful challenge meant to shake the earth
itself and drive fear into the hearts of all.
And as the tractor pulls a monstrous weight, it spews forth a thick, black
column of smoke. The crowd roars with delight; they continue to cheer and
applaud as the breeze pushes the ominous cloud that has formed, right into the
grandstand. This cloud, no doubt, has the punch of perhaps a thousand regular
carcinogenic exhausts or maybe the impact of a hundred thousand cigarettes blown
into your face at once. Caught up in the thrill of the moment, no one seems to
mind or even to notice.
The native people advise us to consider how our actions will impact the next
seven generations. Will our actions maintain the balance for the generations to
come? Most people don’t care. They don’t see how every strand of life is
connected. Perhaps they find comfort in thinking that they won’t have to be
around to deal with the problems.
It’s apparent that the more we try to manipulate the creative energy, the
greater the disturbance in society and nature. People sense something has gone
awry. Worry has become an ingrained part of our lives. In our day-to-day
existence, our creative energies often enough wind up buried, seemingly out of
reach, beneath a mound of problems. Have we imperceptibly embraced the culture
of greed and made it our own?
So, this big, bad cloud drifts over and beyond the grandstand. Slowly the black
particles fall to earth and the cloud dissipates. After a half mile, it’s all
but gone. The winds have taken it. The earth has embraced it. As the night
falls, the grandstand empties. And over the course of time (a long time) Mother
Earth corrects all things.
Andy Fraenkel is the founder of the Center For Sacred Storytelling. He travels
widely offering performances, workshops, coaching, master classes, and
residencies. He can be contacted at:
www.sacredvoices.com; afraenk
at aol.com
©2002 Andy Fraenkel
This article was printed in New Renaissance, Vol. 11, No. 3
Posted on the web on May 15, 2006 |
