Solomon's Private File #312
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 30 in this story, in the Spring of 2056.
Solomon's Private File #312 "How Do I Get To Carnegie Hall?"
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I said to Maria, Stan, and Rama, "You are now full Senior Masters of
Martial Arts. You know there is more to learn, to improve who you are.
The help of others could be useful, but YOU are the masters of who you
are, more than almost all in the history of the world. You are fully
responsible in all ways for who you are, and your actions. You are no
longer the students of any martial artist, but are some of the ultimate
teachers of it. In fact, if you don't teach, you won't be fully of who
you are. This doesn't mean you can't still learn. That never stops. Now
we learn from each other." We bowed to each other, which included the
assembled group of other Senior Masters, and Hawk, in the ceremony at
the FBI Academy.
They had already demonstrated their styles, and demonstrated all the
Senior Master techniques of Ki control. Rama's style was the most
popular with the audience. He grinned a lot. We smiled at him. I gave
them their belts, one at a time. We bowed. The it started to rain. I
said, "I'm sorry, it's raining." Hawk said, "But we aren't getting
wet." I said, "I'm preventing that for the whole area. But if you like,
I can make an exception for where you are." Seniors moved away from
him. He laughed, and, "No thank you, that's fine." I said, "But now
that we've started the conversation, there's something I would ask of
you. Rama's style is popular with the audience. What say you and I have
a go at it, with it?"
He said, "Sure!" I said, "Rama, would you please start us? Did you
have to look so hungry?" He laughed, and said, "I really want to see
this!" I said, "You aren't alone in that. Do you think this could be
why we're doing it?" I encouraged the audience to respond, and they
applauded. Rama grinned and bowed to them. They made room, and Hawk and
I fought. We did a lot of the special gymnastic moves of the style, and
the audience loved it. We actually hit each other, too. We stopped
after ten minutes. Hawk and I were grinning. He said, "That was FUN!" I
said, "It sure was!" We bowed, and there was a lot of applause.
I said, "And now for something of a surprise demonstration." I ported
Srinoy in, dressed in Thai fighting clothes, carrying Thai swords. I
introduced him, and said, "He is known as one of the best pianists in
history, and is a university administrator in Tibet. He hasn't been
public with his Senior Master status until now. My father, Stephen, was
his teacher in that. They performed together in Mongolia, in their
younger days." Some nodded, remembering that. Then Mom ported in,
dressed the same way. I said, "You know my mother, Rose. I think you
suspect what's going to be happening. They will be demonstrating the
Thai fighting art with swords. I should tell you that these swords are
real, and are very sharp. If they become injured, there will be a
healing. Bad words would be extra." Laughter.
I started them, and they went absolutely wild, swords swinging all
over, almost a blur. When I yelled stop, they froze in position. There
were a lot of cuts in their clothes, but no blood. I said, "Protected
by Ki?" They nodded, and the audience applauded loudly. I said, "This
ends the program for this evening. We are open to questions from the
audience and the media." Rama was made to tell his story. Part of that
about how he came to the notice of me. He said, "I had applied to the
FBI for the trainer position. One of the evaluators there is a martial
artist, and referred me to Solomon as a potential Senior Master
candidate. Then I went to work at the Military Academy at West Point. I
then trained with some Senior Masters there and the at the FBI Academy,
before Solomon took over my training, along with my two good friends
here."
A reporter said to Srinoy, "You ported here. Are you in Solomon's
group?" I said, "Stop! That is an inappropriate question! There will be
no attempts to try to discover who belongs to my group, embarrassing
innocent people into awkward positions, because of ME. I ported him
here, as I've offered to do for all Senior Masters, and Senior Master
Candidates in training, for Senior Master business. All but three of
the Seniors here not of my family, I ported to be here." Seniors
nodded. The reporter apologized. Another one asked who his teachers
were. Srinoy said, "I've had a lot of teachers. In martial arts, it was
mostly Stephen. I've practiced with Rose and Hawk, too. As you could
see, I still do. They're a lot of fun." Grins. He said, "And as a
Buddhist, my most revered teacher in that, was Stephen." Mom hugged
him.
I was asked, "Why didn't you do more demonstrations?" I said, "This
event isn't for me, but for the new Seniors, and included
demonstrations of the arts by the people who grew up with them. But
there is another issue. Yes, I could do some of it better, but you
couldn't see it. I mean that literally. I would be moving too fast for
you to know what's happening. Actually, the demonstrations here you
saw, were slowed down so you could see it. Seniors can move faster than
ordinary perceptions can make sense of. I see you don't believe me." I
asked Mom and Srinoy to do a set at full speed. A complete blur. Then I
played it back in slow motion in a camera viewing illusion, and they
gasped. I said, "I often wonder when people will actually believe I
can't lie." Some were embarrassed.
One asked me, "This Senior Transfer thing. Why is it only for Senior
Masters of Martial Arts?" I said, "The Senior Transfer isn't like any
kind of learning but language. The transfer isn't just knowledge, it
also includes learned movements and reflexes. If your body hasn't been
trained to be able to do them, you would seriously injure yourself, or
even die. For instance, if a technique called for a full side split,
"Exactly! But there is another issue. The mind has to be able to accept
it. This isn't just a body only thing. To be a Senior, one must cause
the body and mind to be one. The training for that, accomplishes it.
Actually, you can't train the body, without that also training the
brain and mind. Well, if you didn't have those, your body wouldn't
move." He said, "Thank you. I understand it now."
Srinoy said, "I became a Senior before the Transfers started. I
haven't had any. Excellent motivation for me to come here and
demonstrate!" Chuckles and grins. I said, "And for that, and not to
keep them waiting any longer, we should make that the end. Thank you
for attending our ceremony, and thank you, members of the FBI and the
FBI Academy, for hosting this event." We all bowed, and the Seniors
went into the gym. There were chairs already set up there. We sat.
I said to the group, "Here's a catalog of evaluations of different
styles. I know it's hard to choose!" Chuckles and nods. I said, "I
recommend alternating between hard, soft, and weapon styles." They
examined the crystals. I said to Srinoy in mindtalk, "You can take it
all." He said, with an internal grin, "Gimme!" I did. A minute later,
he said in my mind, "Wow!" I said, "Included." Stan said, "I want what
you did to me! Aikido." I said, "And who didn't expect that?" Chuckles.
Maria said, "I request Rama's style." He said, "I think that's a good
choice!" Chuckles. He said, "I choose Shaolin." The Abbot said, "I
agree with what you said." Laughter. The others also chose new arts. I
said, "Done. Some of you may feel a little confused for a while. Don't
worry about it. Won't make you hit yourself. But if you want to ask for
settle in. Practicing it would help. Don't blame me if you have strange
dreams. You would have had them, anyway." They laughed, but Srinoy was
the loudest.
They looked at him. He said, "I've known Sol since he was a baby. I
was one of his mostly ignored music teachers. Even after all this time,
his humor still gets to me." I said, "I didn't ignore you, just the
instruments." He said, "Oh. Thanks. I think." Chuckles. I said, "Any
here who want to try out their new mind stuffing, the gym's free until
morning." Some did. Srinoy really impressed them. He knew I liked that.
When they were all done, I sent most of them home. Family and Srinoy,
ported home to Window Rock. He said, "Thanks for the rescue. This no
lying thing is awkward." I said, "Sure is! Worse in undercover
actions." He grinned, and said, "I like your Russian spy." I grinned
back, and said, "I knew you would, young as you were then, who would
feed a man one board at a time." I had to play that back for the kids,
and they loved it, and Srinoy.
Then I played for them the show he did in Mongolia with Dad. They
loved that, too. It wasn't that late, local time, so we did some music.
It was a lot of fun. Then Srinoy said, "There is something of Stephen
on the piano I've not been able to play. The first show in Thailand.
Sol, please?" I said, "You know I don't like to compare us. I love
him." There was a touch. They felt it. I sighed, and went to the piano,
and played it. Took a while, and they had a lot of wows for it. We felt
a stronger touch full of love. Mom said, "Stephen loves it, and Sol." I
said, "I am NOT going on tour! Who ever heard of a Rabbi, Minister,
Buddhist Monk, Senior Master of Martial Arts, MD, Lawyer, psychologist,
keys on stage?" They were all grinning. Mom said, "They will when it
happens." I said, "Nope. No operational reason to, and could reduce my
creds with other things. One more thing. I don't want to cause ticket
inspired murder."
Hawk said, "That's a valid point, darn it!" Mom said, "Could still be
on TV." I said, "Did that a little with a PBS pledge week. Old news.
There is no good reason to do more performances, and reasons not to.
went to Srinoy, and presented my arm, and made a motion. He laughed,
and twisted it a little. Then he said in surprise, "I was going to
port, and you said no, that you would do it. You knew I would be
asked!" I said, "Not exactly. It was a situation manager thing. Prepare
for possibilities." He said, "Oops!" We laughed.
Mayor of New York said to me, "Why are you doing this to me!" I said,
"We could do this somewhere else?" He said, "That's what I mean. It HAS
to be here. Carnegie Hall is THE place for it. But the COST!" I said,
"Police won't complain." He said, "Right. They LOVE you. No police
deaths since the gun action. But traffic will be all tied up. How will
we sell tickets?" I said, "Lottery. Free, but donations expected from
rich people, which can help pay for the transportation of others less
greedy. America and territories. I'll be doing this in other regions of
the world, after this, which should be announced." He said, "Greedy,
eh?" I said, "They aren't?" He said, "I'm rich." I said, "Ah! Then you
know." He looked strange. I grinned, and said, "You know what Hawk is
doing." He had to laugh.
There were problems. Some lottery winners wanted to sell their
tickets, but the rules they signed for said there would be no transfers
of any kind. One said, "Not even for a family member, if the ticket
holder dies?" I said, "We don't want to motivate murders." That stopped
that. There were competitions among the people and companies who wanted
to sponsor the tour. I told them I would have to approve all adds. Most
backed out. There were no other problems.
I walked out on stage, and said, "Greetings. I'm Solomon, son of
Stephen and Rose. What caused me to do this event and others, well,
it's a him, not a thing." I named him, and told him to show himself. He
came from stage right. I said, "He twisted my arm! Yes, he really did,
after I asked him to do it a little, so I could say this today."
Laughter. I said, "He started it, in asking me to play something my
father wrote. We were having a discussion after the last Senior Master
of Martial Arts award ceremony. I didn't want to because I love my
father very much, and I don't like to cause people to think I might be
better than him in something. Well, he kind of caused me to change my
mind about that. Yes, Stephen asked me to play it. So I did. Then they
wanted me to do it in public! As if I'm not already too often
They did. I said, "And Stephen wanted it, too. So, here I am. Happy
now, Srinoy?" He grinned and said, "Absolutely happy!"
I said to him, "Remember when you were testing me when I was ten?" He
said, "I'll never forget that!" I ported another piano to the stage,
and said, "My turn now." He grinned, and went to it, and we sat. We
traded improvisations like crazy people, going wild all over different
themes. twelve minutes later, we stopped, and there was a standing
ovation. Srinoy walked off the stage, and the other piano vanished. I
played some of Dad's most difficult pieces. They liked them a lot, and
showed it. There were a lot of call backs. I said, "Last thing. An
encore. My father had one. Think I should have one of my own?" Applause
showed they did. I sang and played the piano, my own original song
about friendship, love, and faith. At the end, I wrapped them all in my
love, and then shifted out. Took a long time for the applause to die
down. Reviews were good. The rest of the tour is scheduled. I'm not
looking forward to it. Family knows that, with grins. Ha!
The old saying goes something like this:
To the policeman on the beat, from a man with a violin,
"How do I get to Carnegie Hall?"
Officer says,
"Practice, practice, practice."
I didn't, but I still got there. Still a good rule, though.
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Grant
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