Don’t worry if you look silly, do what you enjoy anyway.
Balter is a middle English word, it means to dance or tread clumsily. I love that there is a word for this and that we can finally change the axiom, dance as if no one is looking into – May we all balter more!
I agree with the sentiment that we should dance as if no one is looking, but really, that’s a solitary thing. It’s about claiming your clumsiness and enjoying yourself anyway.
What I liked about the idea of baltering is that it is social. We all balter. I know I balter. My son and my husband certainly do. But my son has dyspraxia so he can be excused, he can’t help it. Given that we can’t really help but balter from time to time, why not acknowledge our common tendency to balter and make our baltering dances, not a symbol of independence, though that is important. But rather a way to bring us all together as the flawed humans we are.
Our problem isn't that we aren't alone. The problem is that we are alone and we don’t want to be. We want to have a community or tribe that we feel we are a part of. By wishing that we can all balter more – it encourages us to reach out to each other to enjoy each other’s company in all our collective awkwardness. And that’s a good thing. Because the more we celebrate our baltering, the less we feel constrained to dance as if no one is watching. Who cares if they do. By baltering unabashedly, we encourage other balterers to join us in our dance.
And isn't that so much nicer than dancing alone?
Balter is a middle English word, it means to dance or tread clumsily. I love that there is a word for this and that we can finally change the axiom, dance as if no one is looking into – May we all balter more!
I agree with the sentiment that we should dance as if no one is looking, but really, that’s a solitary thing. It’s about claiming your clumsiness and enjoying yourself anyway.
What I liked about the idea of baltering is that it is social. We all balter. I know I balter. My son and my husband certainly do. But my son has dyspraxia so he can be excused, he can’t help it. Given that we can’t really help but balter from time to time, why not acknowledge our common tendency to balter and make our baltering dances, not a symbol of independence, though that is important. But rather a way to bring us all together as the flawed humans we are.
Our problem isn't that we aren't alone. The problem is that we are alone and we don’t want to be. We want to have a community or tribe that we feel we are a part of. By wishing that we can all balter more – it encourages us to reach out to each other to enjoy each other’s company in all our collective awkwardness. And that’s a good thing. Because the more we celebrate our baltering, the less we feel constrained to dance as if no one is watching. Who cares if they do. By baltering unabashedly, we encourage other balterers to join us in our dance.
And isn't that so much nicer than dancing alone?
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