Solomon's Private File #405
These stories about Stephen and Solomon take place starting in the
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 34 in this story, in the Spring of 2060.
Solomon's Private File #405 "Raminor And Manchin Teach"
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I said to Raminor and Manchin, "Time for your last alignment from
me." We did that, and they had a lot of wows to give for their enhanced
abilities. Raminor said, "Your aura is so big, shouldn't non psis be
able to see it?" I said, "They would, if I let them. I don't need them
throwing buckets of water on me to dowse the fire." Grins. I said,
"Next week we will start Adept training. Now we will do more in math
and physics." Manchin said, "Why, if we can't use any of it?" I said,
"You need to understand the abilities you have and will be learning to
use. Knowing how they work, could save your life, and others. Ignorance
is a curse, not a blessing." He said, "We still don't know what we will
be doing with these abilities." I said, "Lack of imagination?" Grins. I
said, "How much of this world have you seen?" Raminor poked him. I said
to Raminor, "And you've seen even less of it. And other worlds?"
Manchin said, "Let's study!" Big grins.
One doctor in the medical class asked me, "Do you know of people who
can heal others by just touching them?" I said, "Healing is a process.
If they can do it, the touch would only be an aid in that." He said,
"That sounds reasonable, but how is that accomplished?" I said, "Not
having witnessed and investigated all incidences of that, we would have
to speculate. The body makes and uses energy to enable it to function.
There are different kinds of energy. Those who are supremely advanced
in fighting arts can use one of the kinds of energy in their bodies to
strike with, outside of their body." One said, "I traveled in my
younger days. I saw that demonstrated. Amazing! And in the fighting
practice, they could defeat others who had weapons, and they didn't.
Oh! YOU can do that!" I said with a grin, "Took you a while to make the
connection." Chuckles.
I said, "That energy can be controlled, and even transformed. Some
can learn to use energy that is external to their bodies. What this is
leading up to is that some of this energy can be pushed to an injury to
speed the healing. Some people have even done this to themselves,
unknowing, believing the surprising result to be a miracle. Instant
religion for some." Grins. I said, "Most people who have this ability
never discover it. Most of the few who do, never learn to use it in a
way that's helpful. Most of the very few who do learn and use it, are
killed for that, by people who fear what they don't understand." Nods
and sadness. I said, "And that's known, so the very few who are left
are very afraid to use that ability. Just in asking, that can cause a
serious problem. I see that just changed the minds of some of you."
Embarrassed grins.
I said, "There is more on this subject. Those who do that, risk their
own lives in the process. They use their own internal energy. Use too
much, they get sick. More, they die. At the very least, it tires them,
and so makes them vulnerable to attack. I would protect them, but
that's just my decision." One said, "You said some can use external
energy for that, too." I said, "Multipurpose fireplaces here. I like to
plan for all possibilities. Hmm, I was expecting some wows." Chuckles.
The martial arts witness said, "They could start fires with their
energy." I said, "The problem with that, is control. Fire is dangerous,
and can never be fully controlled. If I could do that, I wouldn't want
to. Safer ways to light candles. My father could do that. Almost burned
his school down when he finally succeeded in doing it. He hung one of
his paintings over the whole in the wall, but he couldn't conceal the
smell and smoke." Grins.
One said, "Fire comforts people. Does the energy from that, cause
it?" I said, "I didn't think of that. Don't do that." Laughter. I said,
"It could be possible that many people can use external energy in a
limited way, without realizing it. I doubt it would be significant. Too
much heat would make them tired. Too much of some energy isn't a good
thing. We give off heat. A proper balance is essential. This then would
apply to the other energy, also." He said, "So we give and take in
that, too." I said, "Let's extend that. It would mean that we exchange
small amounts of energy with other people all the time. Could explain
how we know we're being stared at from behind." He said, "It could!"
Nods. I said with a grin, "It's not just my hearing I rely on, for
that." One said, "You knew!" I said, "And I've taught Marcel that."
One said, "We wouldn't have believed you, if you had just told us,
but leading US to discover it, is great teaching!" I said, "Thank you,
but a caution. Others who haven't heard this, may be unsafe to discuss
this with." Nods. One said, "Other doctors who didn't take advantage of
your offer of offices here are already making trouble for us, out of
jealousy." I said, "And have less of their own patients. It hasn't
occurred to them that they could come to these classes, even if they
didn't have an office here." He said, "I'll tell them." One said, "It
would have to be a separate class, to start them at the beginning.
Would you have time for that?" I said, "No, but I'll manage it. My
students can assist more." Grins. One said, "The new people would
oppose that." I said, "A good test of my students. Knowledge is only
part of real learning." Nods. I pointed to two, and said, "You have
patients waiting." Grins, and class was dismissed. My first doctor
stayed behind.
I said, "You again!" Chuckles. I said, "Don't you have any actual
work to do?" He grinned, "I might. This is work, too." I said,
"Obviously not hard enough, if you don't run to escape it." He said,
"I'm too old to run well. You know we suspect you are much more than
you want us to know." I said, "I do eat a lot. Oh, alright, we are ALL
more than we seem. It's the fault of the seeming, that causes that. We
are all capable of much more than we know. I've been purposely trained
hard from birth to come as close as possible to achieving all that
potential." He said, "That explains a lot of that, but not all." I
said, "True. I have a greater understanding of things because of my
greater knowledge and perceptions. It adds up in a way that doubles
itself at each level, rather than one upon another. In stead of , 2, 3,
4, it's like I, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32. I think you see what I mean. The more
knowledge and skill you have, the more you can do with it, and the more
you can learn to do more. As it is for all people, you can only
understand another, to your own ability to do so. When that increases,
so does your understanding advance. The person you evaluate hasn't
changed, apart from your new appraisal, YOU have. There is another
thing in that progression. The more of people you know, the more you
realize that there is much more you don't know. Wisdom can follow where
knowledge leads."
He said, "I must think on this. I hope I don't forget anything." I
said, "Have you, of anything I've ever said?" He said, "Oh! You like
doing this, don't you!" I said, "And don't tell me you wouldn't."
Chuckles. He left. I pushed the memory of all the classes to the boys.
Raminor said, "Are we going to teach the new class OURSELVES?" I said,
"Together, yes. Only an hour or two a day, twice a week. You can handle
that. You do more in handling each other." They had to laugh.
In the next doctor's class, one asked, "It's been said that it's the
world that revolves around the sun, and not the reverse. Is that true?"
I said, "Anybody with a brain can discover that for themselves. You can
see that the moons revolve around the world. We know how long that
takes. We can see the day and night cycle on them, and we know ours,
and the relations between them, and the length of our year. If you
light a candle in a dark room, for the sun, and experiment with the
different possible physical configurations of the world and moons with
it, with small round objects to represent them, you will immediately
see which is the only possible way that will conform to what we can
observe directly in the sky. Some people with good visual imagination
can do that in their minds." Some concentrated. One said, "I see it!
The new theory is correct! Nothing else will explain the phases of the
moons. Why didn't we think of this before?" I said, "Well, who actually
thinks, when an idea isn't slammed into their heads?" Chuckles. One
said, "That wasn't just a joke." I said, "True. There is a lot of the
obvious that most people never see, for just not looking." One said,
"That is SO wise." I said, "Not again! I had to ask Marcel to stop
saying that." Grins and chuckles.
The new doctors came into the classroom, and looked around. One said
of the instruments, "I've heard about these! Some kind of magic?" I
said, "No. It's just lenses in a tube. In my opinion, magic only exists
in the minds of the ignorant. Here, we don't do ignorant. We learn why
and how things work. For instance, is the effect of greasing a wagon
axel, magic? Can you explain how it does that better than water?" They
thought they could, and when they tried, they discovered they couldn't.
I said, "Can you even explain why an ungreased axel makes that horrible
noise?" Grins. One said, "I see what you mean. Much of the world we
accept as normal, we have no idea how it works, but what's new to us,
we assume is magic to explain it." I said, "The danger in that, is it
stops you from examining it, to learn about it. Fear is NOT a doctor's
friend." One said, "I was wrong about you and what you're doing here.
I'm IN!" Some nods.
I said, "In introduction, we start today with some rules of thinking.
Opinions are not facts." Nods. I said, "And observations are not real
unless they can be repeated by others." One said, "I like that one." He
received some grins. I said, "Next, our senses and memories are not
reliable, and our expression of them, even less so. Few believe that,
and those who do, don't act like they do." Chuckles. I said, "Accurate
record keeping is an essential for any professional. Good to point to
when somebody else has a memory issue. You KNOW that will happen."
Serious nods. I said, "Pride is our true enemy, more so because it
causes us to defend the indefensible in us." One said, "You suspect our
pride will cause problems here?" I said, "It will. Remember, I've been
where you are, often, and I've been a teacher since I was 10, and
teaching adults. I REALLY know about that." One said, "Really? 10?" I
said, "Were you there? I said that to them!" Chuckles. I said, "The
first time I was asked to teach, it was for a class of my peers. I hope
you never know the nervousness I felt then. But I was raised by one of
the greatest teachers who ever lived, so I was born to do it. I thought
about how I should do it, and to my surprise, I did it well. Actually,
I'm still surprised. I was asked to do more, and I liked it. I haven't
stopped."
One said, "Why were you asked?" I said, "Do you know I have an
embarrassment problem?" Grins and chuckles. I said, "Being raised by
the two most intelligent people in that land, well, I kind of wasn't
stupid. I had already been helping the other students with their work.
That was noticed. Actually, it became embarrassing, because other
teachers attended my classes of children, to watch me teach. They said
it was to learn. I think there was some entertainment involved. I know,
because they laughed much louder." They laughed. I said, "No, louder."
More laugher. I said, "I had to ask my uncle not to attend, because if
there were a world athletic record for laughter, he would have it."
Laughter.
I said, "I'm teaching my personal students, and the other class, and
doing some management here, and I'm active in the Council. I have a
time problem. My students know all that I would teach here, and will be
doing it together in my place. It's for them, too, for the experience.
I certify they are fully capable. You know that while I'm in the
building, I will hear everything that happens." One said, "How are you
able to do that?" I said, "Partially training in sense management, and
an inborn ability. It runs in my father's side of the family. I had NO
secrets from my cousins." Grins. I said, "My unusual hearing can be
something of a curse. Noises that won't pain you, are like torture to
me." I said to one, "That wasn't a nice test. Under your breath, you
said things about me I won't repeat, that are not physically possible."
They laughed loudly.
I said, "You need not test me. I never lie. Neither will my assistant
teachers. Lying damages the mind over time. I won't have full students
who would do that to themselves." One said, "Can your students hear as
well as you?" I said, "Children of my father, they are not. But they
can hear and see better than most others, because of their training.
Yes, you could learn a little of that, but it works much better to
start that when young." Nods of disappointment. I said, "One more
thing. They know how to fight almost as well as Marcel. I would not
have my students be helpless in the face of danger. I think some of you
are thinking of asking them to escort you home. For a visit, fine, but
you don't need protection from the major criminal gangs." One said,
"You caused that?" I said, "I did. Such lessons I gave them in support
of that, you may have had to repair." Big grins.
One said, "There was a man with two broken arms, who came to me." I
said, "Oh, that's bad. I told them to leave the city. He tried to shoot
me. I told him if he fired that pistol in the tavern, I would do that."
He said, "He obviously did. A very unhappy fellow. His friends all had
to help pay me." I said, "Tavern owner got most of what they had. Well,
they tried to use chairs against me. There was a need for
replacements." Laughter. I said, "If any of you have a physical problem
with a patient, TELL me. I will not stand for that! You who help
people, should be treated with the utmost respect." Some had tears of
appreciation for that.
The boys came in, and introduced them to the items of interest in the
room, and what they were used for. One asked, "Who made the
instruments?" Raminor said, "The microscopes, Solomon made a copy of
one he purchased in another land. Then he improved it, and made these
with changeable lenses that provide different magnifications. He makes
jewelry and polishes gems as a family business. Grinding and polishing
lenses isn't much different from doing that to gems. And the brass for
the tubes and mechanisms, I think you see the similarities to working
with gold and silver. And you KNOW he thinks well. All else here,
that's unusual, yes, you know. He made it." Grins
One asked, "Can we see where they're made?" Manchin said, "Sure, now.
Then it will be at the class end for this day." They went to the
basement. I didn't follow. One exclaimed, "A giant clock mechanism to
power a lathe! Ingenious!" Raminor said, "That's Sol!" Grins. Manchin
said, "As with gemstones, the real problem is the quality of the glass.
It needs to be pure, or high magnification won't be usable. It's
expensive. In using the lathe, precise measurements are critical, or
proper focus isn't possible. Here is the gear cutting attachment." They
had wows for that. One said, "Are you able to use these?" Manchin said,
"Sol won't let us touch them. Said the tools are too easily damaged,
and so are we, being a lot softer." Grins and chuckles. He said, "We've
ground lenses, though, and there's always brass to polish." Raminor
said to Manchin, "Sol's humor by proxy. Think they'll consider it an
acceptable substitute? He said, "It is for ME!" They nodded.
They saw the forge area. Then one said, "What's in this room?"
Raminor said, "Not us. Sorry, I couldn't resist it." Chuckles. He said,
"It's where we have fighting training. Please don't step on the mat
with shoes on." They went in and saw all the equipment. One said, "My
sons would be very interested in this!" Manchin said, "When we're older
and more physically able than possible students, we expect to have
some. There is no teacher without a student." Nods. One said, "Where
does he make his jewelry? Raminor said, "Most of that is done in his
private rooms. We're not going to see that. People's eyes popping out
in amazement is really not desired. Makes a mess when stepped on." Then
laughed well. One said, in admiration, "Proxy not needed." Raminor
said, "Thank you." At the entrance to the building, Manchin said, "Best
not to tell others what you learn here, until you know how to present
it well, and without problems. The magic issue. We don't want to be
roasted. Not without a good sauce, anyway." Laughter. They agreed.
Back upstairs, I said to them, "So, how was it?" Raminor said, "I
didn't expect how well it went. You prepared them well." Manchin said,
"I didn't know we could be successfully funny. I think we learned more
than they did, today." I nodded with a grin. They growled, Raminor
said, "You knew it would happen!" I said, "You can learn some things by
teaching, you can learn no other way." We hugged with love.
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Grant
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