Where does this phrase actually come from?
We encounter a bow in various places. The bow in archery, the bow of those who play music on stringed instruments, the bow in the vault of a bridge.
They all have a certain tension in common, which corresponds to the loads intended for them in such a way that, when the load is removed, sufficient relaxation is also made possible in order to be able to bear the load again.
When overstressed, the bow breaks. That’s it.
No more shooting arrows, no more making music. No more crossing bridges.
Another tension bow I love very much, but it is almost forgotten. If you remember so-called albums of musicians, you will find one just like it. For marketing reasons, usually a title is and was released as a single. Usually one that is catchy and most likely to pick up the inclined audience. But the artist’s album is a total work of art with light and heavy passages. I’ll never forget how reluctantly I sometimes listened to the new tracks, because they didn’t seem to fit into the concept of the album. It was necessary to endure them in order to be able to look behind the shadows. And I learned to love the albums in their entirety.
In times of streaming services, whether for sound or moving images, this ability has been trained away from us. Who today still manages not to skip ahead before the end of a track? We are no longer forced to endure the wretched commercials, to let the record or cassette play until the next more cuddly track.
We are spoiled. We (unconsciously) consume only the sunshine. And I dare to generalize that we have lost the willingness to see, accept, endure the shadows and deal with their significance. We whoop from one dopamine shower to the next without allowing ourselves the much needed time for load freedom. Load freedom, relaxation, low stimulus, rest.
A bow must be cared for and rehabilitated so that it can still shoot arrows tomorrow, elicit music from the strings, carry those who cross it.
What about your arc of tension? What about the people around you? Who was the last person you talked to about what was blocking out your sun?