Rigid
A tree, rigid and sturdy, supports a branch. The branch bends under the weight of a bird.
Rigid
We writer types, loose-limbed and flexible, view rigidity with alarm. But, but, but, we sputter, things should not be rigid.
Rigid thoughts, we protest, allow for no emotion. Rigid rules, no room for variety.
But sometimes, rigidity is what we need. Without it, life is floppy and unformed.
A better, easier word would be “structure.” We need structure to keep the world from collapsing.
A little of both
It’s the balance that counts. The middle road. Flexibility on the left, rigidity on the right. Relaxed versus wide-awake. The law counterbalanced with chaos.
Rigid is not the antithesis of flexible. It is its complement. Flexible is yoga. Rigid is weight-lifting. Both contribute to a well-functioning body.
Yet often, in love with all that is sweet and free-flowing, we discount rigidity.
Rules, we say, are made to be broken. But softness needs structure. And rigidity needs randomness.
Painting the dots on a fish
I had a vision in which a god is teaching a child to paint the spots on trout. The god relies on the child’s wobbly hand with the paintbrush to make the spots just slightly random. A pattern may be ordained by genetics, yet it manifests differently for each fish. Rigidity, flexibility.
What is rigid in your life? It could be an idea, a prejudice, something you have always believed but that may be eroding in our crazy new world. Are you losing your grip? Do you need more flexibility to land on your feet?
What principals and precepts do you use to structure the way you are in the world? Are they rigid or flexible? Remember, you need some of both.
But be kind to yourself. Are there softer places for you to alight?
A tree, rigid and sturdy, supports a branch. The branch bends under the weight of a bird.
The next word is random.
Click here to read Flexible, the previous creative prompt.
Read more from Fran at Becoming….
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I was taken by how I reacted to the words "rigid" vs "structure". I could feel a visceral reaction to rigid, like I needed to brace - myself becoming rigid in defense. Structure, on the other hand, implies some purpose. Interesting. Thanks Fran
Over the years of engaging with a variety of social communities and their philosophies, I've triggered (silently I hope) at many beliefs that people throw out there. It surprises me when this happens. Why is this happening? Is there some innate belief deep inside that doesn't want to bend? Am I even aware of that little kernal of "truth" I so rigorously hold on to? Is the new idea so abhorrent that it unsettles my sense of being?
And the labels. Right! Left! Centrist! Up! Down! So-and-So vs. Whoseewhat. I need to take off the labels and carefully look at the idea and its merits. Then I'm able to relax and fit that new idea into my Rolodex of collected standards. Those standards are what hold me upright. Yet it's the analysis, the getting over that triggered hump of resistance that rigidity often creates, that will encourage me to be flexible. And maybe even a bit more sane in my reactions and relationships with people. We live in a pluralistic society in America. It's necessary to control the triggers in order to allow others to be what they are.