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January 10, 2005
Oh man
This morning I drew a new card: The Chariot.
My stream of consciousness summation written earlier tonight: What a day -- started so tired and just rolled right along -- here it is almost 11 and I barely noticed. I am tired, though, so much roller coaster today and waves of different emotions. I've felt unable to share in circles, 500 things flying around my mind competing for attention and none cutting past the fog to be clearly apprehended and spoken.
We learned the Core Session in Polarity today. It addresses core beliefs and issues, opens us to spiritual connection, and fosters well being. On a less intense level, it can address lethargy, poor digestion, lack of vitality, emotional imbalance, recovery from illnesses, etc.
It was our first session involving a contact anywhere near the perineal area. We located our partners' coccyx, or tailbone, and held contact just off to the side with one thumb; with our other arm we performed elbow slides down either side of the spine (lamina groove), stopping at points of tenderness, tension or energetic stuckness, an toning to release them. That entire process is called the Sympathetic Nervous System Release.
Only one half of class got to give in the morning; I received, and don't have anything spectacular to report. The tenor of the entire class was odd today. Anyway, tomorrow and Wednesday we learn Perineal Contacts, and Thursday we learn a group Polarity Circle. And then that's the end! Horrors.
Supposedly we get "integration" over the next three weeks, covering joint mobilizations, lymphatic drainage, and integrating these, along with Polarity and Shiatsu, into our Swedish sessions. Personally I'm more interested in integrating mobilizations and Polarity with Shiatsu and leaving out the rest. Energy, absolutely... joints, sure... lymph? LYMPH? That's disgusting. No lymph. Go walk around or something. You're your own lymph pump. Leave me alone.
One good day of the week and I'll be up again. One good day of the week, I'll be higher than the government.
(Starsailor)
Kinesiology was nice. We talked about our Funny Walks, went over some muscles and attachments, and spent some time drawing and cutting out muscle models.
During break I took some info to the student store, regarding some particular glass water bottles I'd like them to buy--Miron bottles. The glass is awesome, it's violet and made in Switzerland. Only lets in a particular part of the light spectrum.
I spent the rest of the afternoon reading our Polarity handouts, talking Tarot with Nishkama, and dealing with a bit of unsavory business with... well, an unsavory business. I won't link to them, but it's Stormsong.com. I absolutely can't recommend enough that you don't buy anything from them. NASTY.
More than a week before my break, I placed a small order... well in time to receive it before I would leave Heartwood for the holidays... especially given the $6.45 they charged me for shipping. Well, "shipping & handling." As the price was almost enough to send my package Priority twice over, I figured all was well and happily waited for my package.
First day of break, the last thing I did before leaving was check my mail. No package.
Grrr. This meant I was left without, among other things, a pendulum for break.
When I returned two weeks later the package was of course here. I opened the envelope and dumped out an array of disappointment. Out of three items, one was misrepresented and one was the wrong size. I had ordered a 4x6 pouch; what I was received was barely 3x4. I checked my packing list and my order report on their website to make sure nothing was wrong there; everything seemed to be in order, except for the product I held in my hand.
The other problem was the shipping. The envelope was marked 3oz First Class Zone 8. Which translates to a grand total of: eighty three cents. $0.83. This means "handling" accounted for $5.62? Ridiculous. I happen to have owned a mail order business; I know that there are costs beyond the postage. I also know they don't add up to $5 an order. If they do, you have a problem.
Beyond that, I still don't find it acceptable to charge handling, certainly not such excessive handling. This should be built into the prices of the items. Of course the Stormsong website claims that they charge under suggested retail for most items because they feel suggested retail is often too high. Yet they have no qualms gouging customers with bogus handling fees? Personally, we always charged our customers actual shipping and set our product prices accordingly.
Of course I first tried to contact the merchant. The curt reply I received explained their THREE DAY RETURN POLICY and their "non-negotiable, non-refundable" handling charges.
They also had the gall to tell ME that I received what I ordered.
I wrote back, explaining more, and offering another opportunity to make things right. The reply I received still has me in awe. They responded to none of my concerns, and instead simply said that "pouches industry wide are measured including seam width" and that this must be where MY "confusion lies as to the sizing".
I promptly responded that I would be disputing their charges with my credit card company, and that they would be held accountable for their poor business practices. Of course they didn't reply to that; it's clear they have no regard for their customers.
Assume a customer did order the wrong pouch size simply because they don't know how the captains of the pouch manufacturing industry choose to measure their product. Immediately I have a problem communicating with customers about my inventory. Of course I'm going to let them exchange it for what they actually need. This is how you win people's hearts, minds, and business. Not by trying to force them to keep something that's of no use to them.
So today I called and disputed the charges. An investigation is underway and a provisional credit will be issued to my account. I don't know if things have changed, but a couple years ago the dispute process was biased heavily in favor of the customer. "Dispute" is kind of a misnomer, since it implies the merchant has more than a slim chance of prevailing. Merchants are treated like the scum of the credit business.
For example, as a merchant, you have to pay a monthly fee simply to be told how much you owe your processor. The customer's bank charges you, your bank charges you, a percentage fee is taken, and a transaction fee, every time someone enters their credit card number and hits "Submit". In addition to all of that, you might pay a monthly flat fee. As if that weren't enough, they charge a setup fee when you sign up for the privilege.
Having disputes can raise some of those charges. Having too many can result in your merchant account being cancelled.
In supervised practice I gave the Core Session to my partner from the morning. Soyka remarked that my body mechanics tonight were some of the best she'd seen me in. The session went well, although it didn't seem all that special on my end. Many folks had some remarkable experiences receiving though.
Afterward, we had closing circle and shared experiences. Quite emotional for me to hear! And at one point I was hit by the thought that "I'm so going to miss all of you" (when I graduate and leave). Right about that time Soyka reminded us that the present moment is all we've ever really got. And I guess we don't even really "have" that. Anyway, I just concentrated on feeling our moments in the circle as deeply as possible.
I spent a period of time in my life practicing a skill I like to call "Easy Come, Easy Go"... I wish I was feeling in touch with it tonight. I've been able to see people as breaths before. Just because I took a breath before, and just because I'll take a new breath after, doesn't make this breath any less important. Easy come, easy go. Breathing easily, taking in the new, releasing the old.
I feel like I'm holding my breath.
Posted by Josh A. at January 10, 2005 10:28 PM
Comments
1. You are too funny "Lymph? LYMPH? That's disgusting. No lymph. Go walk around or something. You're your own lymph pump. Leave me alone."
2. Sorry the order wasnt exactly what you wanted. If it were me, Id be going to the top with phone call after phone call until I got what I wanted. I should probably try your method sometime.
3. I love you and cant wait for you to graduate. I really do know what its like to live in the moment. So many people come into our lives and leave, and before we know it, its all just memories. Keep in mind memories will always be there with your journals and its easier these days to keep in touch (email, phone, etc...)
Posted by: Des at January 11, 2005 01:43 PM
Thanks :)
Re: #2, the emails were from the owner. I was at the top.
Love you too ;-)
Posted by: Josh A. at January 11, 2005 09:51 PM