Conference hydra::dejavu

    
    
    Yea, I know those guilt feelings well!  However, the outcome of
    your situation clearly showed that the other person was capable
    of locating the necklace too.  It allowed them to keep their
    personal power rather than giving it over to you.  Certainly
    we have a lot of our own ego wrapped up in all of this, and one
    of the major lessons to learn is to get our egos out of the way.
    There is also the fact that you don't necessarily have to be on
    demand all of the time.  In a class recently, we were told by a
    very responsible woman who is a medium that she has found herself
    in situations where people just expect her to "do mediumship"
    on demand.  She was a guest in a home and the host had invited
    all these people over for a session of communication and never
    told her about it.  She kindly but firmly told them that she was
    not prepared to do this and she didn't.  It's called being in
    control of yourself.  
    
    So don't give yourself too much of a hard time.  Allow yourself
    to sense when there really is a need for your assistance, or when
    the other person is able to handle it on their own and all
    "egos" will be the better for it.
    
    Carole
    
    

    I certainly agree that people with these "gifts" are often taken
    advantage of. However, if when it was finally found, you ended up
    knowing it's whereabouts WITHOUT having to move after all, it seems
    that you could have asked for a few minutes to see if you came up
    with anything rather than refusing. Where this was not a planned
    event (loosing the necklace), and you were asked, rather than
    expected to help, I think maybe there was some overreaction.
    
    Steve

    re .responses:
    
    There's a tough problem here.  Suppose you have a gift (say, healing
    ability) but that you don't have limitless resources (each time
    you use your gift, it weakens you).  But suppose everybody _knew_
    you had the gift; then everybody who was in other than good health
    would demand your services.  Wherever you draw the line, the people
    on the wrong side of the line would be miffed.
    
    In another note ("A Sinister Seance"), I recounted how an experienced
    occultist had his arm twisted to do a seance, even though he had
    misgivings.  If his wife and her friends didn't know of his talents,
    the arm-twisting wouldn't have taken place (keeping it from his
    wife would have been difficult, but keeping it from the others would
    have been easier), and an awkward situation wouldn't have happened.
    
    However, a person with a genuine gift could say, if he or she had
    good reasons (including intuition) not to use it, "Sorry, the ability
    comes and goes.  I'm afraid I can't help right now."
    Steve Kallis, Jr.

    There is nothing that makes this problem especially applicable to
    paranormal gifts.  Ask any doctor or lawyer how often they are asked
    for advise (medical or legal) in a social situation.  For that matter,
    as a "computer person" I am asked all the time for advise on buying
    a home computer (which I am not overly qualified to answer).
    
    For any skill or knowledge one has one has to balance reasonable
    levels of selfishness against reasonable levels of selflessness
    (social debt, as it were, incurred by living in society and partaking
    of its advantages).  Also, their are other, selfish, benifits to
    helping people -- it makes you feel good about yourself, it makes
    you feel a bit superior (we are being honest here), and, it puts
    individuals in your debt, and, if you don't overdo the debt thing,
    it biases people to like you a bit more.
    
    It boils down to the fact that you have to balance out these factors.
    No one else is qualified.  You feel quilty because you feel you
    made the wrong decision -- specifically, you weighed the immediate
    hassle to what you judged from a longer perspective to be too strongly.
    As you said, learn from it, but forget the guilt.  Its unlikely
    that you feel guilty when you make the opposite mistake and spend
    of yourself excessively for others -- so let the guilt cancel out
    in this case.
    
                 			Topher

     It might also help to remember there are some very  worthwhile  things
     to  feel  guilty  about;  meanness, vindictiveness, pettiness, hatred,
     etc.  When we do things for  these  reasons,  we  should  feel  guilty
     because  we're capable of better.  Did you refuse because of some base
     reason, or simply on a whim?  I suggest if it  was  on  a  whim,  your
     instincts  were  working for you.  Trust your instincts and don't feel
     guilty when you act because of them.

     Alvin

    I think you did the right thing.  Don't be so hard on yourself.
    You have to consider your own comfort too.  Besides, the onus was
    on the person who had lost the jewelry, to ask everyone in the room
    for help in looking for it...not on you to volunteer it, in my opinion.
                                                           
    Doug

    I can understand how you felt John.  Talents such as these are seldom
    predictable... and no one seems to know what conditions (physical,
    emotional, whatever) predicates the ability to respond favorably
    with the talent.  It seems almost to choose its own time and
    apparently...that wasn't the correct time.

Thanks to all for the wise words (Notes = cheap therapy).  All of you made
some very good points.  Alvin's reply struck a chord though; WHY was I hesitant
in this case?  The answer is that I'm not really sure.  I think it was a
combination of several things:

o I couldn't have gotten out of the seat I was in without calling a lot
  of attention to myself

o I didn't want to create a "side-show" atmosphere

o I just didn't feel like making the effort

Maybe I really should have told her where to look (as someone suggested)
but it has been my experience that people won't do it ( "Why would it be
THERE?").  Oh well, enough of guilt.  Next time I'll be more decisive.

John M.

    re: John
        Perhaps I should listen to the tape Lazaris has on this specific
    topic (Guilt) and take notes and then enter it into 358 as reference
    as I have with so much of his other stuff, but I am not at this
    point in a hurry to do that.  I will say, however, that when it
    comes to guilt, I do not feel "left-out" for a lack, thereof.
    One of my biggest areas of self-work right at this time concerns
    guilt...I would prefer to spare the public disclosure of my particular
    reasons, so I hope you can just take that statement at face value.
    Lazaris, in his last talk with me (in August) offered me a great
    deal of personal guidance in working on resolving this particular
    issue.  
        Let me say that what he has said makes as much (if not more)
    sense than any information I have heard elsewhere so I will pass
    on a thought or two here, off the top of my head (where my skull
    cap used to be-[grin.])  He says that guilt is an artificial emotion
    that is really anger...anger that we feel we don't have a right
    to.  In dealing with the highly destructive "emotion" of guilt,
    the first step is to convert it to anger.  You cannot deal or process
    out guilt.  You *CAN* however, process anger.  Unfortunately for
    the sake of this response, I cannot remember the ways/methods he
    has given as guidelines for doing both of these steps (that's what's
    so good about the tapes/notes.)  For me, it helps because I don't
    "spontaneously" release these feelings.  I will also add that holding
    on to guilt serves no positive purpose, so it is extremely useful
    to "be rid of" it.  
         Incidentally, I appreciate your willingness to be vulnerable
    here in opening this part of yourself up for "judgement/scrutiny/help"
    and I hope you do not just shrug off the feeling as one of no import,
    especially if guilt is something you deal with often.
         I could be encouraged, I suppose, to add notes from the Lazaris
    tapes, if anyone is truly interested and feel that it would be worth
    all of our while, otherwise I leave this where it is as my data
    banks on this subject are too full of holes at this moment to add
    more.
      
    Frederick
    

    I don't think its guilt afterall.  I think its embarrasing.  
    People re-act in very odd ways to this sort of thing.  If you're
    right, they think you're a bit weird and if you're wrong, they 
    think you're an idiot.  Not to mention the fact that, even if you're
    right 3 out of 5 times.. this *could* be one of the times you're
    "not hitting".  It puts a lot of pressure on social relationships.
    
    Sometimes people start dropping over to get tarot or IChing 
    readings and you may not be in the mood.  It gets depressing when
    bad cards turn up and you suddenly "know" some personal and very
    hard details about someone's life... often a stranger.  How can
    anybody keep from empathizing?   

    I think you did the right thing John.  Its best to keep a low profile.

    John,
    
    On guilt - I believe that Frederick has gotten to the heart of the 
    problem.  Anger, however, may be a little harsh to adequately describe 
    your feelings in this case - perhaps resentment would be a closer
    description.
    
    For example, a close relative of mine always managed to make *me*
    feel guilty because I hadn't written back within a certain time
    period (that *she* though I should be doing).  I would get these 
    digging phrases at the end of her letters to me such as "DO try to 
    keep in touch." and "Haven't HEARD from you lately." and then felt 
    like such an ungrateful selfish person because I probably should be 
    writing more often but wanted to instead spend my time doing things 
    that I wanted to do instead.
    
    Finally I came to the realization that she was the one who was quite 
    selfish in that she didn't really care that I might have been 
    incredibly busy (or ill - which in one case was true).  I managed to 
    turn the guilt I was feeling into resentment and then anger (and poof, 
    the guilt was completely gone).  After letting the anger surface,
    I then decided the best course of action to take.  I called this 
    person and told her then that I really resented the fact that she 
    was placing demands on me that I just couldn't meet (or never 
    seemed to meet, since it seemed that whatever I did was never enough), 
    and told her in the future that if she wanted to talk with me then 
    she was most welcome to call me collect, since she was never home 
    when I tried to call anyway (and I'm not much of a letterwriter).

    By doing this, I managed to put the ownness of the 'problem' where 
    it belonged - back on her - and I no longer suffer from guilt when 
    someone tries to make me do things I don't want to do or don't 
    have time for.  I'm much more in control now and do the things 
    that *I* want to do instead of what others believe I should be 
    doing.  Makes for a much happier life for me and I have a lot more
    free time now.

    John, perhaps deep down you were really feeling resentment/anger 
    toward your friends when tried to get you to do something that you
    didn't really feel comfortable doing for all the (legitimate) 
    reasons you listed, and they erupted into feelings of guilt 
    instead.  Just a thought.

    Cindy

Am I missing something?  Though I haven't done a whole lot of noting in this
conference, I have been following along for sometime, and looking back and
re-reading some of DECWET::MITCHELL's comments and statements regarding
occult and paranormal phenomena, I find it difficult to believe he had the
gall to admit that, in *fact*, he has a gift to locate "lost jewelry".
    
If you can't accept many aspects of these phenomena (because there is "no
scientific - ''rational'' is the term you like to use - explanation"), how do
*you* explain your "gift", John?  Surely you haven't been able to measure,
weigh, see, taste, color, or touch it.  Gee, I'm beginning to doubt it's
existence, since *I* can't prove it.
    
Anxiously awaiting your witty comments.
    
Ima Believer (a.k.a. Kip)

    I don't haven't developed any psychic abilities, but I think I can
    imagine myself in a situation similar to the one you experienced,
    and tell you what I would have been thinking:
    
    In a large crowd of people, most of whom I know, a woman loses a
    necklace and engages the assistance of her fellow diners in the
    search for her precious item.  I have this sort of talent for 
    "finding" things using some kind of ESP, and a few of my friends
    who know this about me look at me like, "Okay, do your stuff and
    find this lady's necklace."  On the spot, and not feeling particu-
    larly psychic (the mutton upset my stomach), I consider the odds
    of my being accurate in this case and decide that it isn't worth
    the risk of embarassing myself in front of all these people.  (The
    mounty comes to the rescue and falls off his horse!)  So I sit
    tight, keeping the "messages" I've already started receiving about
    the missing necklace to myself.
    
    Later, after the necklace is found, I confirm my suspicion of its
    whereabouts and wish I had taken the chance and offered my unique
    talents in the search.  It would have been a great feeling to have
    succeeded in such company.  After thinking about it for awhile,
    it really bugs me that I didn't go ahead with it.  Soon, the reason
    for not doing it (fear of failure & embarassment) is replaced with
    "I didn't want to be put on display," or "It would have been too
    difficult to get up out of my chair," or "Now I feel GUILTY because
    I could have offered my assistance and was too selfish to do so."
    
    In summary, I don't think GUILT is the strongest feeling here, but
    perhaps DISAPPOINTMENT at having missed an opportunity.
    
    But then, everybody's different ...
    
    -joella
    

    
    Re.-1
    
    While I may not always agree with what John has to say on these
    matters, I will defend his right to say them here.
    
    Most of the time he asks very valid questions and provides a good
    balance for those of us interested in knowing *all* sides before
    making a decision or forming an opinion.  
    
    I'm glad he admitted that he has the gift he mentioned because it
    takes a bit of courage to disclose such personal information about
    ones self, and would hope that others in this conference would not 
    take this opportunity throw back in his face something which he
    has confided to us here.  By doing so, you run the risk closing the 
    door to other things which he (and others) may want to tell us but 
    will not do so because it may in some way be used against him because 
    of prior statements they might have made in this conference.
         
    We all grow and we all change and we've all done things in the past
    that, if we had the chance to do over again, we might do in a slightly
    different way.  
    
    Cindy
    

    Ditto, Cindy.
    
    DW

    One way I've learned to deal with guilt (as well as other feelings)
    is to realize that once an event has occurred, there is nothing
    I can do or feel that will change what has already happened.  In
    fact, the only thing that you can change is the way you feel.  By
    feeling negative after an event has occurred you have only created
    bad vibes that will have no effect upon what has already happened.
    Try to find a positive aspect and not dwell on the negative.  This
    attitude has helped me a great deal and perhaps may be of help to
    you.
    
    
    ....Bob 

RE: .12 (Kip)

Thank you for your input.  You might also get a kick out of my reply in
the UFO topic.

And while I'm at it, I am very superstitious about the number 13.

Notice something?  Not ONCE have I claimed that my jewelry finding talent is a
paranormal phenomenon.  It is a gift in the sense that the ability to play the
violin beautifully is a gift.  That the ability exists in me is established.
However the *source* of that ability is open to discussion.  Some people would
call it ESP. I do not consider this talent to be extrasensory, but
HYPERsensory.  That is, my brain very quickly computes (for want of a better
word) all of the possibilities and chooses the best one. 

Adding even more to the "mystique" is that my memory is generally so bad that I
have to have a keyfinder and a carfinder on my key ring.  People often joke
that where God gave others a memory, he gave me a buffer (this is only true for
short-term memory.  My long-term memory is extremely good).  Also, the talent
works ONLY for jewelry.  This might tie into my general obsession with art, but
I really don't know. 

So there you have it.  Draw your own conclusions.


RE: .13 (Joella)

Much as it pains me to admit it, you are entirely correct.


John M.

    Maybe you have an affinity for the rock and mineral worlds John...
    As for the semantics of the situation... "a rose by any other name
    would smell as sweet"_:-)  See you in the crystal shops?_;-)

    One other thing.  There is a form of divination that uses rocks
    and crystals.. If they like being found by you, (if you have an
    affinity for them), they just might tell you other things as well.
    Pick out a nice crystal ... one that you feel especially drawn to
    and carry it around for awhile,... play with it.  They don't exactly
    transmit in words but you may find life a bit easier or more
    interesting.  Why not give it a shot?

Before I delete this conference from my notebook for good, I just want to
add one item.

Though there are certainly many well-informed people who frequent this
conference, and there are probably a like-number of novices out there who
are seeking information to help them deal with all these "unknowns", I am
having a difficult time comprehending why anyone who is a skeptic would
even bother to jump in at random and argue/debate these topics.  I see
absolutely no point in debating someone who has a different opinion from
mine because it solves nothing whatsoever.  It only serves to highten
the obsession the negative person has regarding the "discussion".  I can
think of better things to do with my time than try to convince someone
of what I *know* to be a fact, regardless of where those facts lie.  (Mr.
Mitchell says he has a gift, but doesn't claim it's "paranormal".  Right.
His brain scans all the possibilities, he weeds out the places it [jewelry]
can't be, and comes up with a solution.  A good guess, perhaps?  Not very
likely.)

It would be different if someone such as Mr. Mitchell were *sincerely*
trying to get some answers to some valid questions, but that just doesn't
appear to be the case, here.  It peeves me to no end when someone decides to
play "Devil's advocate" at the expense of others who firmly believe in what
they are discussing.  I'm not suggesting that Mr. Mitchell falls into this
category (or am I?) and at this point I really don't care; it's neither here
nor there and it will serve no purpose to begin another stupid debate.

For what it's worth, I did recieve some positive input from fellow dejavu
noters regarding my previous entry in this, shall I say, "discussion".  Not
everyone who accesses this conference is pleased with the way it tends to
get off the main topic and rapidly wends its way down a rat hole.  More than
once I've wanted to enter a note, only to think to myself, "What's the sense
in trying to communicate my feelings/thoughts/experiences with others who
have THE SAME interests, only to be bashed by someone who "hasn't a clue""?
And I do mean HASN'T A CLUE.  That's why this will be the last time I access
this conference.

Regards,

Kip

    Re .20 (Kip):
    
    Sorry to see you go.  "Chilling out" is often a good way to gain
    perspectives, but that's another matter.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.       

    
    
    Kip,
    
    I am sorry to hear that you don't find Dejavu a safe haven to share
    your very meaningful experiences - believe me, it will be very much
    our loss.
    
    Carole
    

    You know, I think that it is dificult for some who participate in
    more "cut throat" conferences to understand the atmosphere that
    many of us feel in DEJAVU.  I fully enjoy hearing both sides of
    each topic and there is a special spot in my heart for those who
    bring up the feelings of the little sceptic who lives inside my
    head.  I find that most folks in these parts who challenge, do so
    with gusto, humor, and humility.  I find that they add spice to
    the conference.  It would be boring without them.
    
    Marion    
    

    
    
    re: .23
    
    Some skepticism is always a healthy thing to have, and I find
    the majority of people I communicate with that have had hard-to-
    explain experiences are asking questions and trying to learn what
    is happening.  This conference has been a forum for those questions
    and learning for many people that don't have any other place to
    go.  The level of skepticism in this file has increased in recent
    months (or maybe it's just the volume (loudness) :-)).  And the
    very loudness and presentation of it will keep sincerely questioning
    people from sharing and inquiring.  It's all in how you present
    it, and the attitude behind it.  
    
    The important thing to remember is, if you don't have people sharing
    their experiences and asking their questions, there won't be anything
    to be skeptical about.  There's got to be some kind of balance here.
    And for the past year and a half, I have _never_ found this conference
    to be boring.
    
    Carole
    

    
    
    re: 20, 21, etc.
    
    
         There are many skeptics in this file, yes, as there are in
    the outside world everywhere. YOu wonder why anyone notes in Dejavu
    who doesn't "believe". The *total* skeptics, people who wouldn't
    be caught within a million miles of Dejavu, aren't within a million
    miles of Dejavu (they're out waging war and helping to destroy the
    earth in a variety of ways). The so-called skeptice in this file
    are those who have in fact touched on, or are deeply interested
    inon some level in the uncommon experiences shared by so many of
    us "believers". It is as if their skepticism is some last-ditch
    grasp at the rational 20th century age of technology and reason
    as they feel themselves gradually being drawn toward the benign,
    yet powerful mysticism and higher experience of the age we are moving
    into.
    
         So when the skeptics look fervently for "proof" of this or
    that or something else along the lines of the established scientific
    method, they appear to be trying to shoot down the (perhaps paranor-
    mal) experience of that someone else has just shared, but on a deeper
    level they may only be trying to connect with the same in the only
    way that they currently know how.
    
         The moral of the story is; don't be reticent to share something
    with us because someone may "shoot it down"--just realize that you
    are enriching the lives and experience of everyone here.
                                              --------
    
    
    Roy     

     Gee, did I miss something?  First of all, I didn't  understand  either
     of  Kip's  notes.   I thought .0 was a call for feedback.  I, for one,
     never questioned John's "gift" because I didn't see that as the  heart
     of  the message.  I'm a skeptic with regard to psychic phenomenon, but
     I thought John's note was with regard to a basic human concern.

     I also thought, John, that you didn't need to explain your "gift",  at
     least  not  here.   I'd  like  to see another topic started to address
     that.

     Now, as regards who takes part in DEJAVU; I think this  conference  is
     *great*!   Look  at  the variety of topics!  Look at all the different
     points of view!  Look at all the things to learn and to  think  about!
     (I  started  507  with  this in mind and my .0 contribution there best
     states my basic thought about this conference.)  But  more  important,
     and  best  of  all, look at the concern and caring that so often comes
     out in these REPLYs!  Take this note as an example.  It's too bad  Kip
     didn't  see  all  that.   I'm sure this conference has lost a valuable
     contributor!

     Alvin

    When we discuss various situations where "normal explanations" can't
    describe what has occurred, we stumble into a gray area where there
    isn't a valid scientific description.  In this para-normal environment
    any opinion is as valid as another. 
    
    In the Notes that I have read, I can't remember a reply where someone
    has stated "THAT COULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED".  All Argument/Rathole/Debates
    occur over the *EXPLANATION* of what occurred.  Maybe John feels that
    there is a "Scientific" explanation of his talent (not by today's
    Science John! ;-).  Maybe there's an Imp that sits on his shoulder that
    can sniff jewelry a mile away and subconsciously whispers the
    knowledge in his ear.  
    
    Nobody knows for sure why or how these things happen, but we do agree
    that it has, and does happen.  That is the first step in the quest for
    knowledge. What we discuss here is effects.  The causes are still very
    high up in the air and are subject to our "debates." 
    
    Dave

RE: .26 (Alvin)

I think Kip missed the point (you obviously did not).  I wrote .0 because I
didn't use a talent that some would consider psychic and felt guilty about it.
The purpose of the note was to suggest to others in similar situations that
they not hesitate to use whatever gifts they have to help people.  I was also
trying to work out why I felt the way I did and received a TON of excellent
input.  Then Joella comes along in .13 (there's that number again) and
virtually RAPES my mind!  The fact is that I was confusing disappointment with
guilt (well, there was *some* guilt) and just wasn't facing what I already
knew.  Now those bad feelings are gone. 

The point of all this (Kip Watson) is that I can disagree with 9/10 of the
people in this conference, yet still recognize them as valuable resources.


RE: .20 (Kip) 

Flames Follow Form Feed:



Attitudes like yours really clear my crystal!  OK, Kip, so what is your
problem?  You can't deal with skepticism?  TOUGH! And even though you prefer a
hit-and-run approach to noting and claim that you won't see this answer, I'll
write it anyway. 


    >  I see absolutely no point in debating someone who has a different
    opinion from mine because it solves nothing whatsoever. < 

Then what the hell are you doing in NOTES?!  If everyone were of the same
mind, there would be no discussion.  I suspect you are looking for validation
of your opinions/fantasies and not for any kind of discussion.  Sorry, dude,
I'm not going to withhold my comments and questions just so you can feel
secure in your mystical demimonde.


    > I can think of better things to do with my time than try to convince
    someone of what I *know* to be a fact, regardless of where those facts
    lie. < 

What, did God speak to you through a burning VT220 or something?  It must
be nice to be so enlightened.  I'd ask what it is that you *know* to be
a fact, but you are allegedly not reading this reply (yea, I don't believe
that either).  


    >  (Mr. Mitchell says he has a gift, but doesn't claim it's
    "paranormal".  Right. His brain scans all the possibilities, he weeds
    out the places it [jewelry] can't be, and comes up with a solution.  A
    good guess, perhaps?  Not very likely.) < 

It sounds like a good explanation to me; do you have a better one?

I suspect that you can't take skepticism and scrutiny because you want psychic
phenomena to remain *mystical.*  You really don't want them explained/explored
and would rather remain in a blissful state of ignorance.  If such is the case
then I'm not surprised at your leaving this conference; you're ill-equipped for
it. 


    > It would be different if someone such as Mr. Mitchell were
    *sincerely* trying to get some answers to some valid questions, but
    that just doesn't appear to be the case, here. < 

How odd......I thought I was being sincere.  Thank you for setting me straight.


    >  It peeves me to no end when someone decides to play "Devil's
    advocate" at the expense of others who firmly believe in what they are
    discussing. < 

Playing?  Who's playing?

I suppose you would cry "foul" if you believed the world were flat (and
you probably do) and I told you it were round.  Having such a narrow outlook,
your decision to withdraw from this conference is probably wise.  I wish
you the best of luck in finding a suitable cult.

John M.
                 

RE: .18, .19

Oops! I got so caught up in my tirade that I forgot to address your replies.
My "talent" is not limited to finding things with precious stones; gold
and silver work just fine.  In fact, I found a silver necklace in the Safeway
parking lot about an hour ago!


John M.

    re:  .31
    
    Mary,
    
    Perhaps John was a bauble in a past life.   :^D
    
    Marion

    I have a knack for finding things too.  Usually other peoples. 
    And I think it has something to do with ignoring the "But I Already
    Looked There" line that people use...it is often where they looked
    the most.  Also, I have this mind that tends to swamp itself
    (subconsciously, most of the time) with details and
    minutiae.  I pick up details, mostly visually, and when something
    is lost, I can sometimes picture in my mind where I last saw it.
     It is often there, or fell to the floor, or was covered with papers,
    or whatever.  Part of my ability is hunch (I get a "feeling" it's
    in a certain place), and part of it is memory.  And of course there
    are those indescribable times when you look where you "feel" it
    is, and it's not there...but try again later and it is!
    
    Twilight zone stuff.

    -Jody
    

    John,
    
    Your response to Kip was very well put.  And I feel there's 
    a very good chance that he'll see it despite his flamboyant 
    "exit" a few notes back.  
    
    He departed while arguing that there is no point in debating 
    issues he already knows to be fact.
    
    If he really believed that, Kip would have most quietly disappeared,
    sans argument, and without ever looking back.
    
    So, Kip, if you're out there, show me a sign; if not via DEJAVU,
    then a simple levitation of my rolodex would do ...
                                        
    -joella