maskormenace | 02

[Hello, imPorts! Today, when Saint Walker takes to the network, there is a certain solemnity to his perpetually cheerful features, though that in no way overrides the pleasantness in his voice. It is out of acknowledgment of their current predicament; nothing more.]

Good afternoon. To say that the past few months have been trying would, I think, be something of an understatement. I am unable to make any grandiose statements that alleviate this tension, nor am I able to offer any suggestions on what one may do on the macro scale. What I would like to offer, however, is my personal help to any of you who may be feeling the strain of these trying times.

Where I am from, I often guided those in need of assistance in sorting out complicated feelings, and guided others in the art of meditation. Whether one is facing great problems or small - and I assure you, I have provided my help to people who fit both of these categories - meditation can help with that, whether it is to assist in bringing about even temporary inner peace and calm, or bringing clarity to matters that need addressing.

If you require another to speak to, or wish to learn more of meditation, please contact me - privately or otherwise.

[He inclines his head towards the camera.]

Thank you for your time, and may you all find your own sense of peace.

[OOC: An open log for meditation sessions has gone up HERE!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Well, I don't think it can be blamed for that -- [ He almost sounds like his mood lightened at that -- but it was still a shitty joke. ] But you're right, I think we could use to look at everything else --

[ A beat. ] Ah, sorry, I'm not an expert, but I try to meditate regularly, it's just not often that I get the chance to talk to someone about this stuff. Last time I did, it was my hippy mom.

You needn't apologize for anything! I am quite interested in hearing how others meditate as well. Having the ability to instruct others does not, in fact, mean that I consider myself to be an expert; I have skills that may be useful to others, but I still have much to learn. Which is a good thing indeed! A life without learning would be horribly boring.

Were you close with your mother?

[ A pause. He'd brought up his mom, but now... His eyes shift, to the side. ]

Ah, yeah. We were.

[ Before she'd been killed. Distractions are better, than thinking about what happened, how she'd been killed, the way they found her body -- what Suzanne had done -- how it was his fault -- ]

But, anyway -- You're telling me. I'm nowhere near an expert -- but what I am, is stuck in a usual rut of meditation technique. Transcendental Meditation is great, but it's a little mentally deep, for when you don't want to think.

[For a moment, all Saint Walker does is look at Mitchell. His large, black eyes are generally expressive enough, but for an uncanny moment of time, it appears that Saint Walker is looking right through him.

He cannot tell what has happened in Mitchell's past, of course; he simply sees the discomfort there and zones in on it momentarily, though he will not pry for now.]

I believe that I may be able to provide some help in assisting you with meditation that focuses on the absence of troubling thoughts. I have not, however, heard of transcendental meditation before; will you tell me more of it?

Yeah -- it's... well to be honest? It's probably a scam. [ A half laugh. ] But it helps, so that's what's important, right?

You have to get a Yogi first, who's licensed. They're supposed to help you develop a...mantra, I guess. That's the best way to put it. And it helps focus in?

I've always found it's pretty good for opening your mind. [ Not necessarily a good thing when it led to hidden messages from another universe, but you know. ]

That is what is important. If it is real to you, it does not truly matter whether or not it is real to anyone else; such is the nature of life, don't you think?

[Though if he doesn't want to think, maybe the subjectivity of reality isn't the best conversation in the world.]

It does sound as if such techniques have been useful for you, but that it does not, perhaps, have as many applications as you might wish. Focusing is a useful skill, but there is something to be said for meditation meant to calm your mind as well.

I suppose you're right.

Well, I mean, the whole money scam part of the whole thing is what bothers me. The fact that they convinced my mom to sign us up for it, but...

It was fun. And it did help. Ah, through some tough times. Politics isn't exactly easy on the mind, so the focus helps -- even if most people think I'm kind of weird for using it.

Ah. Yes, I can see why the monetary side of affairs is bothersome. It is still odd to me to be living in a currency-dominated society, you must understand.

[In some ways, it's easier. In others, it's not. His own village used a combination of the two; currency to keep track, but it was just as common to simply trade goods as needed. Saint Walker lent his services to the town, and in exchange, they made sure that he and his family had all that they needed to survive. He preferred that sort of exchange to his current occupation, but each and every one of them required currency simply to live.]

Beyond that, I suspect that it matters very little what others think of you provided you are doing what is right for yourself. If you do not meditate in order to find some semblance of peace, however, what is it that you do? Surely there must be some activity that brings you clarity in the face of the muddiness of politics.

[ The real answer is: he doesn't. ]

It's always been the TM, I suppose. Politics is a...loud business, you know? Focus is the best I can ask for. A few minutes where I'm not fielding concerns. [ There's a half-laugh, there. That fills the space. ]

What kind of society did you have? Uh -- if you didn't have currency?

We did have currency of a kind, though those here would no doubt call it primitive, [he says, with a singular sense of humour to his large eyes, to the curve of his mouth. He's been called primitive more than once since he got here, and seems to have decided to regard it with amusement rather than offense.]

While we did use paper markers in exchange for good, trade was far, far more common. The exchange of goods provided us with far more flexibility -- flexibility that was much needed, I might add, as our society was primarily focused on providing every person with what they required to live.

[Unlike, say, America.]

Ah, that sounds pleasant. [ Not nice. Not good. Not "How It Should Be", despite his own concerns for such things. He's a politician, and careful words are exactly the kind of thing he's an expert in.

Much more than the economics of alien worlds and the feasibility of their economy. ]

As long as the people get what they need, that's the most important, in my opinion. Things like that come from your culture, you know? Sounds like yours is pretty focused on the community -- which isn't exactly a bad thing.

It is made possible by our way of life. Our population is small, and all that we need is supplied locally. It is easy, I think, to ensure such a process when we are intrinsically connected to what keeps us alive.

The logistics of such a community in a place such as this... it would be possible, as all things are, but far more difficult.

Oh, so you're a giant hippie commune?

[ His mother would die from happiness, god rest her soul. ]

Guess that would make a lot of sense. What do you mean about being connected to it? Like... in a deeper way than the way we are? You know, consuming everything in plain sight?

No. [The correction is gentle, but it's a clear correction nonetheless.] The idea of there being hippies - or communes, for that matter - are purely human constructs, constructs of Earth itself. While it may be more comfortable for you and for others to compare our culture to one that you are more familiar with, it will always be incorrect. It is our way of life, and the way of the Astonians before me, the Astonians far from me.

We pay our respects to nature, and attempt to treat it as gently as possible, true, but I was speaking of the fact that everything we do consume is in plain sight. We see where our food is from by viewing our own backyards; we know who weaves our clothing, and how they do it. It is easier to see its value when one bears witness to the process by which everything is made.

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