A new Reiki 1 class has been added in October. As of this writing, the class date has been set, but I am still waiting confirmation from the hotel. If anyone is interested, please sign up, and don’t wait until the last minute. Because Caring Palms is renting external space for each class, a minimum of four students is required to hold a class. There is room for many more than four, but four is the minimum. A decision will be made up to one week before each class to determine if there are enough people to hold it or not, so reserve your spots soon.

All classes will be held at the Holiday Inn Express, 1101 Beach Blvd, Jacksonville Beach (10 blocks north of the studio).

This past weekend, we had our first Reiki 1 class since the move, and the first at the Holiday Inn Express. The space was nice, though we needed to move a few tables. We had four students with two Reiki master helpers. Since the helpers were not needed to even up the number of students, they got the rare treat of working on each other. The four students found the information and practice enjoyable and enlightening. The practice was good, and everything went well.

We are looking forward to more classes being held at this venue as it worked out well.

Many years ago, there was a filk song written (filk: fan folk singing at sci-fi conventions) called Children of Promise (and one day, I will locate the name of the author). This song called to me, let me know that there were others like me, others I could talk with that would understand me and how I feel. (Now, this is not the Children of Promise you get when you search Youtube which has a more religious vibe to it.) This version talks of people who grew up with the same influences who were shunned by most people because of their beliefs, their love of science fiction, their disinterest in hatred and bigotry, their dreams of creating a better world, or worlds.

The song tells of those that believe the same, that they are not alone. It calls to the people that are misunderstood, lonely, those that have been laughed at, humiliated, that lived in fear for the way they believed, unable to fit into “the norm”.

Yes, these are the people we want as they “are the children of Heinlein and Dickson, and Einstein, and Armstrong, and Green”. These people were affected by the work of the greats of classic sci-fi including Robert A. Heinlein (who also invented the waterbed), Gordon R. Dickson as well as scientists such as Albert Einstein, heroes like Neil Armstrong, and musician/author Paul Green. They were also influenced by people like J.R.R. Tolkien, Marie Curie, Albert Schweitzer, Werner Van Braun, and George Lucas.

And while the song looks to bring science fiction enthusiasts together, it also rings true to any group of dreamers that want to see things better. This is so true for spiritualists, so often shunned by conventional society, those that believe that all things are possible with hope, and belief, and the willingness to get out there and try. We are dreamers, and, as the song says, “each new vision aids us all”. Each dream adds to the possibility and energy for growth, for change, for hope.

We who dream and who hope, need to come together. By merging our light, we can further our dreams, make positive change. We who have hidden in the shadows and watched, afraid to step out lest we be laughed at, and humiliated, it is now our time. As the song says, “Come and stand with us, my friend, for you are not alone. There are other like you here.” There are like minded people here, people who are willing to listen, to discuss, to help, to learn, to transform from the “accepted norm” to a place where all things are possible. This is where we need to go, to be.

As things seem to get darker, we need to come together and spread our light, to create a blaze so bright that darkness can not survive. Every little candle that is lit, pushes back darkness. It reaches those that are still willing to think, still willing to believe, still willing to dream. And the more candles we combine, the more light will spread.

Bring your faith, your belief, you trust, and your willingness to see change. Seek out like minded people. Learn. Teach. Combine. Together we can change the world.

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Come and stand with us, my friend, for you are not alone.

There are other like you here.

Others who since childhood had to walk unknown,

misunderstanding loneliness, and laughter for their loneliness and fear.

And these are the children of Heinlein and Dickson, and Einstein, and Armstrong, and Green.

Come and talk with us, my friend, because we need your dreams.

Each new vision aids us all.

Informing future substance of a technicolor scheme

that decorates invisibly the empty spaces on our bedroom walls.

And we are the children of O’Neil and Lucas, Tolkien, Curie, Schweitzer, and Von Braun.

Bring your faith in with you, friend, and fear not for we know,

the force that made us, made us all.

And love and joy and faith and trust are necessary things,

to keep our hopes from drowning in the stormy turmoil of this bright blue ball.

And we are the children of Yahweh and Hosteph, the lord and lady Manitou and Christ.

Come and take my hand, my friend. We are not alone.

For we are the children of Robert and Gordy, and Albert and Neil, and Paul.

Yes, we are the children of Heinlein and Dickson, and Einstein, and Armstrong, and Green.

How many times do we feel inadequate to do a task, that we fall short in either knowledge or physical ability? Probably often. But that is part of learning.

We have to try new things, and as we do, we are probably not experienced enough to understand all the complexities. But the next time we, we know more than we did the first. Each time we do that task, our knowledge base increases. But then we try something else.

And as with the previous task/job/experience, we start out (for the most part) blank. But then we fill that blankness with knowledge.

But adequacy is not just in tasks, it is in all things, including social situations. How often are we unsure about mixing with others? How often do we come away hurt or upset? How often do we find that this is something we can do?

The point is that everything is a learning experience, a chance to grow. And we often feel inadequate when we try something. But we are here to learn, to enrich ourselves with new experiences. Yes, we may be inadequate. And then we might find ourselves adequate. But later, things will get easier, and we will be fine.

Don’t shy away from new things. They are just new experiences that your soul is looking to learn from. As the shoe company says, just do it.

Since people do not see the t-shirt designs too often, a new shirt will be featured each month.