"Hoozhooh" or Off the Beam

Hoozhooh" (pronounced "hoe-zho") is defined in The Navajo Language Dictionary as the process of becoming peaceful, harmonious or happy. I might add, from personal experience and understanding, that physical and psychological health play an important role in this since they too are susceptible to disturbance. Discussions of Hoozhooh, or harmony and balance, are quite common at the trading post. It is a theme the Navajo people frequently incorporate into their art as a means of staying focused on attaining this state of balance. Hoozhooh reminds us that such things as unconscious offenses of self righteousness, discrimination and overwhelming pride are just as destructive as conscious acts of evil. All are simply a part of life; they must be recognized for their negativity and avoided. We must stay focused on what is good and right to remain on the beam. This balance is similar to what gymnasts expend so much time and energy on to perfect their balance beam exercises. It is very much the same in Navajo culture.


Long Walk Basket by Navajo weaver Peggy Black

I have a good friend who is extremely creative and passionate about his art. I find that I enjoy his company a great deal when he is expressing his creativity. He paints a uniquely positive picture when he speaks of his art. The downside is that he has a poor attitude when it comes to most day to day situations. I find myself hesitating to initiate a conversation with him for fear that he will lose focus and revert to negativity. Dealing with him is like hiking the landscape of a deeply cut Southwestern river drainage. You greatly enjoy the grandeur and spectacular views from the high ridges, but beware of the dangers in the gorge. You must be cautious not to get caught in the flash floods common to those lower regions. If being caught in one of these overwhelming deluges doesn't kill you, it will leave you terribly shaken and with a gritty disposition as you attempt to extract those pesky grains of sand from every pore, crease and crevice. I suppose that I must accept my friend for what he is, and realize that his hoozhooh has a greater diversity than most.

My personal attempt at hoozhooh is akin to the now obsolete computer game of Pong; an electronic version of ping pong. I feel as if I am continually being bounced from opposing walls of positive and negative influences. I am rarely able to hold the center, and am always leaving deep scratches and fingernail shards in the middle ground as I blow by on each successive pass. These near misses surely create distinctive markings on the face of my playground. The markings bear witness to my unsuccessful attempts at harmonizing my soul. Maybe that is why I relate so well to artistic interpretation of this elusive goal of hoozhooh.

I suppose that if hoozhooh was an easy quest, those who obtained it might take it for granted. If you eventually find and maintain the middle ground, you may simply straight line, fade to black, game over!. Or maybe a new, more exciting game might appear, with greater challenges and more promising results.

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