Prayers for St Valentine, a virtual rose for all and another World Thinking Day homework assignment triggered by hearing Maya Angelou!

St Valentine was beaten and beheaded in Rome in 269 and buried on the Flaminian Way. Today he is in my prayers.

I am not going to make a big deal out of Valentines Day. There will be more than 2,000,000,000 roses exchanging hands as gifts in the US alone. The vast majority of those roses will be coming from Columbia. The extent of my rose giving is a virtual rose to all receiving this mailing. Enjoy! Watch out for the thorns. How big is VD?

I will be joining the WAGGGS in celebrating World Thinking Day on February 22. I became aware of WTD two years ago because of a discussion with the love of my life about the differences in the pecking order and ways of the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Come to find out (1) Girl Scouts climb the ranks by way of age as opposed to accomplishment and (2) Girl Scouts make a promise, "On my honor I will try to do my best" as opposed to the Boy Scout oath requiring the statement, "On my honor I will do my best." I will continue to spare you my opinion as to how I believe the two different oaths have an impact on our lives.

In my 2006 VD post, I tasked folk for WTD to reflect on why they were not participating in the politics of massage and to get involved. This year is only a little similar.

I saw an incredible presentation by Maya Angelou as part of my subscription to the MPSF speakers series last night. The MC was absolutely right in she was the right person to speak the night before VD. Her theme was COMPOSING...

In telling her story, she spoke of those who composed who she was to become by helping her in every way shape and form from her Uncle Willy teaching her multiplication tables in Arkansas to her mother making her attend one play a year in SF to acquire some culture. She beseeched us to reach out to our librarians asking for literature and poetry (especially black writers) reminding us that their compositions are now our compositions for the asking. I don't think I will be able to read Poe in the same way after hearing her rap rendition of 'The Raven'.

She then spoke of how we, the younger generations, had to be courageous and compose the world as we wanted it to be. She noted she was not pleased with the composition of the world created by her generation.

I am moved by the fact she went from being a 16 year old unmarried pregnant 6 foot tall black girl with a propensity for learning languages yearning to take part in the history unfolding before her as she watched in awe as folk were being hired as translators at the unbelievable salary of $150 per week when the UN was forming in SF to being invited by the UN to read a poem at the United Nations 50th anniversary celebration.
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SO! What is your homework for WTD? Truly start composing what you want the world to be. I am addressing this especially to those in my trade, the world of touch.

Carl Sagan wrote, "A central lesson of science is that to understand complex issues (or even simple ones), we must try to free our minds of dogma and to guarantee the freedom to publish, to contradict, and to experiment. Arguments from authority are unacceptable."

I have not been happy with the way the most politically active organization (Do I need to invoke their name?) has been composing the destiny and putting themselves forth as the "authority" for OUR work. If you feel the same, compose your own path and let others know you are doing it.

For years I have said I will compose materials stating what my work is about. It is time. Like you (and Maya Angelou), I, and my work are the end result of a long series of people, places and things. Art Buchwald wrote, "The best things in life aren't things." Massage Therapy is a thing.

Watch for your name at The Flammia Touch as I create a composition.