Do you remember Weebles? They wobble but they don’t fall down. I loved those. Somehow, no matter how hard you shoved them in any direction, they managed to spring back into upright. I wanna be a bit more weeble.

Folks will tell you they’re stable. They are staunch supporters of this or firm believers in that. They are grounded. Founded. Staying put. Not going anywhere. Often, from their place of firmness they wave their arms to orchestrate or advise. And if they see you running to and fro they’ll tell you to relax. Just be still. Like they are.

I wonder. Are they stable? Or are they stuck?

The test of stability is whether, when something collides with you like a runner coming down the 3rd base line while you block home plate, you stand your ground or get thrown out of the way. The most stable have a bit of give to them. They absorb the shock of the incoming force, cushion it, and then spring back. Like weebles. 

When I seem to be standing still, how do you know if I’m stable or I’m stuck? Easy. You apply some force. Give a shove. See how I respond. If I tense and defend or deflect, I’m stuck. If I wobble and right myself, I’m balanced.

By the power of give and take, I find my center. Again. Perhaps God rounded our bottoms so we could discover our inner weebles. And the confidence to listen and respond to all that differs from us and then to right ourselves. Centered, grounded and maybe even a bit more rounded.

Of course, I am a contemporary weeble; I have hands and feet. I can use them to move in any direction I choose. To reach as far as my center will allow, as long as I am willing to absorb the recoil.