Watch for Rain

Today I went to the dentist and ran some errands. While I was out, I handed out my cards to the people I talked to; at the dentist and at the stores. When I remembered. Yup, I was a little nervous about doing that, especially at the dentist, but at time point I have to give up the "I don't deserve it," "I don't want to bother people" conversations. I am never going to get where I want to go if I put in my own limitations.

I get three types of reactions when I hand out my card. Some people shove it into their pocket or put it down without giving it more than a glance. Others read it and seem like they want to ask a question, but don't. And then there are those who read it and start asking questions, which usually leads to interesting conversations. Those conversations cause me to think.

The questions people ask make me reconsider how I present myself. They show me how I'm coming across, how people misconstrue things, and I get to try different approaches to get my message across. I also run into certain things that I have trouble talking about. For instance, do I want to sell my service by opening a conversation with "Have you ever wondered about past lives?" Maybe I do, maybe I don't. In fact, considering what I do, I probably should. But I don't want do. I'm still shackled by my cultural taboos that say these things can not exist.

I have plans to put up a web site and do a marketing campaign around my neighborhood, but that brings up concerns that if people really knew what I did, something bad would happen. I don't know what I'm thinking of, but the image of peasants with pitchforks and torches storming the castle, comes to mind. I have relative that rabidly insist that there are no "taboos," but anybody with their head outside their ass knows the cultural pressures that come into play when you profess acceptance of anything outside the spiritual norm. As tough as it is to be gay or transgender, it's almost more socially acceptable to be non-heterosexual than to be Woo Woo.

Well, I definitely have to get past that, and I'm going to get some, probably a lot, of pushback from those who can't stand the idea that anyone they know might think different. I look at it like this: I have no intention of staying inside for the rest of my life because I'm afraid I might get wet. I know that sometimes it's going to rain, so when I do go out I'll check the weather and dress appropriately.