Solomon's Private File #271
These stories about Stephen and Solomon take place starting in
1950's. Stephen wrote about his life in letters to a penpal, and then
in a secure blog, in case he lost his memory again, in the master
computer in his school for gifted students, which he started attending
in 2016 in a new incarnation, until his death. Now his son Solomon is
attending the same school, and is writing in his own secure blog for
his future incarnations.
All characters are fictitious, even if some of them might have names
that belong to some actual people, or act like people we know.
Solomon is 28 in this story, in the Spring of 2054.
Solomon's Private File #271 "Hair Of France"
START Page
CNN played parts of Dad's shows, to remind them he had said similar
things about America and giving advanced tech. And some my shows, too,
about that. Public felt better about me, and not so nice about
politicians. Some Democrats supported me. Republicans were unusually
cautious. Then one blasted me, saying I should have come to them
before, or at least warn them. I shifted to his office when he was
alone, unannounced. I said, "You made a foolish noisy mistake, in what
you said about me. In trying to be nice about it, on the assumption
that you actually care, I'll tell you why. I had a meeting with the
President a month ago, and discussed some things that were on my last
show, which we didn't know then, would be. I gave him crystals to pass
around to his party members. He did. Nothing happened. Not even a
comment. A week ago, I told the President I was going to have to say
some of those things on the upcoming show. Nothing came from that,
either. Now, what do you have to say for yourself?" He stared at me,
while doing some thinking.
He said, "I didn't know about that meeting and crystal. May I have
one?" I said, "Here's a duplicate." I put it on his desk. He read it.
Then he said, "You toned it down a little on the show. I should thank
you for that. Any of us support you in any way on these issues?" I
said, "Just one. DOT." He said, "I remember. The initiative man." I
said, "Only Department that's running well. Care to guess why?" He
said, "The offer in the crystal?" I said, "And I didn't have to offer.
He asked, and received, almost as soon as he was sworn in. HE knows
about initiative! Hard to imagine that you people had absolutely NO
idea that industry DEPENDS on good transportation." He said, "I
remember. Great presentation. Your work?" I said, "I assisted in that,
yes. So you see, my offer is not only real, but it actually works
well." He said, "I'll have to pass that on." I said, "Won't work.
Conservatives have egos bigger than their butts their heads are in. No
way are they going to believe they're not perfect. And accept help from
me? Ha! Their degree of resistance to that would equal the need for it.
The more they need it, the more they will resist it. You pass that on
as you said, they'll jump on YOU, as a handy target. Never blame
themselves. That would be admitting a weakness, which, strangely to
them, IS a big weakness."
I said, "As it is right now, they respect you very much for your
attack on me, even though most know it's based on false premises, which
they could have corrected you on, which they didn't have the courage to
do, or to attack, themselves. If you don't want to commit political
suicide, you'll have to play it cagy, not confrontational." He said,
"It's like you're on my side. Why?" I said, "You actually had the
courage to speak your mind, while they were cowering in the corner. I
have to respect you for that. And they abandoned you to your own
devices, the cowards." He said, "Oh. You feel for underdogs." I said,
"Well, at the moment, I'm the one who's barking." He laughed. He said,
"Hawk?" I said, "Got him, but good. Really unexpected." More laughter.
I said, "Would be interesting if you and DOT head got together on
this." He said, "Yes it would! I like interesting. Give him a recording
of this?" I said, "Then I won't have to ask." Grins. I offered to hug,
and we did. I gave him his copy. Then I shifted to DOT after notice,
and said, "Had a meeting with my one big loud critic in Congress." He
grinned, and said, "Share?" I gave him the crystal. He read it, and
said, "Wow! And I might have an ally, now." I said, "Or at least a
coconspirator. They abandoned him. I don't like that at all." He said,
"My party will probably never understand that, given how you feel about
us in general, it's not at all personal with you, even with those who
attack you." I said, "That's because it's VERY personal with them, and
they are so egocentric, they can't understand any other way. It's even
worse, in that they're supposed to be so religious, and don't act at
all like they are, and that carries forward in how they think of me,
the most religious person in existence. They can't understand who I am,
and more, WHY I am, where the leaders of their religions they profess
to belong to, can and do."
He said, "I've seen some of that, and have trouble understanding it."
I said, "That's because you're a good man. It's not easy to so debase
yourself, to be easily able think like they do." He said, "Oh. If they
ever heard that!" I said, "Would be a run on earplugs." Chuckles. I
said, "President's a good man, but he's shackled by his party. He
pushes too hard, they'll dump him, and he won't be able to get any work
done. Courage issue, too. If you guys don't fix things, and soon, you
won't have a second term." He said, "I understand. Share this with
him?" I said, "So I won't have to ask you." Chuckles. We hugged. I gave
them both new crystals. They are in contact now, and becoming good
friends.
I asked to see a middle school teacher after class. I said, "You have
a student in your third period." He said, "I think I know who you mean.
Harold?" I said, "Yes. There is some trouble." He said, "True. He's
defying me in front of the other students, causing trouble." I said,
"Who is it exactly who's causing the trouble? Consider who I'm talking
to." He said, "ME?" I said, "Yes. He could grow up to possibly be one
of the greatest artists in history. If his talent survives what you're
doing to it." He looked at me in surprise, and said, "But he has to
learn the basics!" I said, "Your students are individuals, NOT one size
fits all robots, and most so where it involves superior CREATIVE
talent. Let him do what he wants now. He'll have a whole lifetime to
learn other things. Don't kill his talent while that can still happen.
Yes, you can guide him, but gently, subtly. Then his own curiosity will
latch onto it. As it is now, he won't show you most of his work, and
believe me, that's YOUR loss. Don't critique. SHOW him how to do
better, and not on his work, but on your own. NEVER touch his work!
That's worse than rape to him. Don't make him use different techniques,
USE them where he can see you do it. You'll have to use glue remover to
get his eyes off of you. Be his advisor and advocate, NOT his master.
This is how you treat real budding artists in this society. If you want
them to become their best."
I said, "Are you understanding this now?" He said, "I think I am.
I've been treating all my students the same. It never occurred to me
that I could have somebody who you say he can become." I said, "Well,
they all have to start somewhere. I've been an artist many times. Less
times than I could have been. I DO know about this." He had some tears,
and said, "Do you think I've hurt him?" I said, "You have. The desert
painting. You saw what happened when you made him change it. He cried
when he got home. His mother was very angry with you. So the color was
different, but it said something. Something real. What art is supposed
to do. Here is how it was." I ported it in. He studied it, with tears
flowing. He said, "I see what you mean, now. I feel like a murderer." I
said, "Resurrection. At least with the painting. Give it to him.
Apologize. Ask me to give it to you, so you can tell him you did that."
He said, "Solomon, please give me a copy of his original desert
painting." I said, "That should work. Don't push your apology. Just
plain and simple, and offer any help he needs. Contact me if he needs
something you can't get for him. Here's a crystal recording of this er,
discussion. Want to contact me for what I said, hold it and say my name
twice. I hope to see some great things from him in the future. And him
to credit you for how you helped him to be able to do that. Please help
that to happen." I stood, and we hugged. I shifted out.
George said, "Added to the list of must sees." I shifted to his
office, and wiped his tears. We hugged and kissed with love.
I walked up to the door of a house in France. I knocked. A girl
wearing a scarf on her head, opened the door. I said, "Hello. I'm
Solomon. May I enter and discuss some things with you and your family?"
She just stood there. I grinned, and said, "Sooner of later, you're
going to become a little tired, just standing there." She said,
"Solomon! Er, please enter." I said, "Thank you." I walked in. They
were in the big kitchen. She said, "We have a guest, Solomon." She
introduced her parents and younger brother. The parents were astounded
but cautious, but the brother sported a gigantic grin. I greeted them
politely, but grinned at the boy, and he laughed. I said, "May I
discuss some things with you?" They agreed, and asked me to sit.
I said, "There is some trouble with the school." Father said, "They
will not let my daughter cover her hair." I said, "That's true. Why do
you think they have that rule?" He said, "To disrespect us." I said,
"Have those who made that rule, said that is the reason?" He thought a
little, and said, "They have not, but I don't know of any other
reason." I said, "ALL rules made by man, have reasons. Some of those
reasons are good, some are bad, and some are so stupid, nobody can
believe they could be thought of by anybody but a baboon." Girl giggled
a little. Mother smiled. Father tried to show no expression, but the
boy laughed almost hysterically. I said to him, "Are you related to my
uncle?" They knew what I meant, and smiled. He laughed some more.
I said, "The reason for the rule has been discussed a lot. If you're
interested, I'll tell you about it." He said, "I am." I said to the
boy, "No, they weren't especially hairy." He laughed. I said,
"Different societies have different customs. Most of those customs have
no real useful reason, or the original reason is no longer in power.
But still, customs, useful or not, are what defines a culture, and some
obey them with that knowledge, for that reason alone, and not for any
practical reason beyond that it's what they're used to. Tell me, why is
it important for your daughter to cover her hair?" He said, "It's
required in Islam." I said, "You know I know a lot about religions?" He
said, "I do. You were there at the start of Islam." I said, "Actually a
part of it, yes. Many religions. Unfortunately, most people don't obey
their own religions, even while they are using parts of them to justify
what they want to do, and often, falsely. Personally, I have a serious
problem with people who choose to obey only part of their holy books,
and not all. Who gave them permission to so choose what to obey and
what not to, and still call themselves true believers?"
He said, "I must say I have thought of that." I said, "Do you know
why it is said in the Koran that a woman must cover her hair?" He said,
"I do." I said, "And, what is that?" He said, "For modesty." I said,
"And why?" He looked at his son. I said, "In this world, well, he knows
what you would speak of." He said, "So men, who can't control their
desires, won't attack them." I said, "And how well does that work?" He
considered that, and said, "I see. It does not." I said, "And in this
society, it actually attracts attention. The very wrong kind of
attention." He said, "I see that now. True." I said, "No responsible
school administration wants ANY of their students to attract bad
attention, for something that can be easily changed." He said, "Oh!" I
said, "It's not in any way to disrespect you, but for safety. Children
can be so cruel to those who they see are different. Very hurtful. And
that's just the girls. The boys? I know you understand." He said, "I
do."
I said, "But let's go back to the Koran. It's not just about covering
the hair, but the face and the entire body. But I don't see that here.
Why?" He said, "I understand what you meant before, now, about choosing
only a part of religion." I said, "So, do you think you were doing it
more as a custom, than a religious rule?" He said, "I am beginning to
think that." I said, "And not a custom of this country you have chosen
to live in, that can also cause problems because of it." He said, "That
is true." I said, "And there is one more thing. Your daughter covering
her hair, is NOT going to make her less attractive. Well, not with THAT
smile." She produced it. Her father said with his own smile, "I have to
agree with you." I said, "There is danger all over. We can't avoid
that. Where you were from, it wasn't your daughter who was most in
danger."
I said, "There are always trades, for one thing over another. We
can't fully protect our children from all that might cause them harm,
or they will not become good adults. We have to trust others to help
us, and even they can't do it completely. It's an uncertain world, and
all the more interesting for it. And it's not easy coming to a strange
land, with strange customs and different ways of speaking. More, when
your children become more a part of it, than you are able to. I've
lived many lives. I know this well. We can only do our best, and hope
that's good enough. Part of that, is accepting the help that others can
give us. There is much wisdom in the Koran. Some of the rules in it
were for that place and time, and do not work well for us now. In not
obeying them now, does NOT make less the wisdom of what they were good
for then, because we as people, haven't changed all that much from
those times, even though our societies have. The Koran still has much
to teach us about who we are, how we should act and respect others, and
in understanding God. I do not speak against it, but for more
understanding of what it can teach us." I stood, and so did they. I
said, "Here is a crystal of what I said, and the Koran is in it, too.
My personal love is offered." They all came for hugs. I said to the
parents, "Your children are good people. You have helped them well in
that, as only good people can." I bowed, and shifted out.
Mom said, "I loved what you did." Galya said, "More, how you did it.
You broke it apart, and then put it back together in a way they could
better accept." I said, "And he noticed that, which captured more of
his attention." George said in the air, "Added to the curriculum, which
is why you let us monitor that one." I said, "Er, obviously!" Chuckles.
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