FIGHT & DANCE

STRENGTH WITHOUT SENSITIVITY CREATES RIGIDITY.

SENSITIVITY WITHOUT STRENGTH CREATES FRAGILITY. EMBODY BOTH.

Photographer: Sfc. Al Chang, U.S. Army
Date: August 28, 1950
Location: Haktong-ni area, South Korea

A grief-stricken soldier being comforted by his comrade after his close friend was killed in action.

Life doesn’t happen to us, it happens through us.

Mesmerising rhythm we wait for no one, we dance to our own drum,

Listen to the pulse inside your veins, your primal intuition,

There’s no worries, no need to hurry, slip & slide let’s ride all night,

Bring your desire, submit to the fire, take my hand I wanna feel alive…

If man doesn’t use his power, he’ll be used by his power. Abused by his power.

Uncontrolled, bottled up aggression creates stress, bottlenecks & blowouts. The pressure builds. Tensions rise. We short-circuit. We flip out.

Controlled aggression… that’s a different story.

Controlled aggression makes the save, closes the deal, gets the deed done. This is the quiet man who wakes up early on a Sunday morning to clean his streets for free. The loud, proud man who leads the march in Trafalgar Square against genocide & wrongdoing. The average man who, despite being tired, looks himself in the mirror, splashes some cold water on his face & hits the tarmac.

It goes without saying that when shit hits the fan, we need to respond like shit off a shovel.

We’re men. We’re the ones who get called to battle. We’re not women or children (anymore). We’re the last to get access to the life boats, therefore, we have a responsibility – an ability to respond. A call to arms. When, not if, we’re called to war, whether that’s on the battlefield, boardroom or our own back garden, we need to be able to fight. Stand up for ourselves. Our values. Our people. Our truth. What’s right, good & just.

This puts men in a unique position. Yes, we have to be strong, men. When the going gets tough, the tough get going, but not to our detriment. There’s an innocent boy within. Waiting, wanting to play again.

Alongside being able to fight, protect, defend, attack & charge forward despite fear or doubt, we must be able to dance. And I mean really dance. Not guzzle a load of beer, drop some ecstasy & party our socks off (although that period of my life served it’s purpose), but really move. Be moved.

Feel the rain. Get wet. Get sweaty. Get dirt under our fingernails. Callused hands. Smile from the bottom of our hearts.

Sing, scream, surrender. Unlearn. Unhinge. Move our body to the beat of our own drum. Play.

Open up, my friend. Say yes to your power, & your playfulness.

Fight & dance. You might even come to realise they’re the same thing.