Taking Part in the Process...As an experienced Jedi

Aqua wrote: Oo.. .. Body language is lost indeed.. We do have smileys at the forum, but they do not work as fine as a body.

I have a real problem at portraying my intentions. Often times they get viewed as a negative instead of a positive or just thinking. Used to be I wouldn't use smilies....people suggested that I try it. So I did....now people tell me I use them too much and it makes my posts appear smug and conceded....

In the end there is no pleasing people haha :laugh: I would hope that, as Jedi, we would infer the posative in peoples textual words and not the negative.....not so simple though.

Text is a mixed bag. But so is real life....I am alot more shy and inwards in real life and have just as much an issue portraying my thoughts in real life as I do in text.

Streen's post for example....I did not take it as a "Let me skip ahead and be viewed as a Master"

I took it as "Where do I begin?"

Just because he's been around TOTJO off and on dosn't mean he really focused on the process of things.

I could be wrong. But it shows how text can be interpreted on two completely separate ends of the scale

Kitsu Tails wrote:

Aqua wrote: Oo.. .. Body language is lost indeed.. We do have smileys at the forum, but they do not work as fine as a body.

I have a real problem at portraying my intentions. Often times they get viewed as a negative instead of a positive or just thinking. Used to be I wouldn't use smilies....people suggested that I try it. So I did....now people tell me I use them too much and it makes my posts appear smug and conceded....

In the end there is no pleasing people haha :laugh: I would hope that, as Jedi, we would infer the posative in peoples textual words and not the negative.....not so simple though.

Text is a mixed bag. But so is real life....I am alot more shy and inwards in real life and have just as much an issue portraying my thoughts in real life as I do in text.

Streen's post for example....I did not take it as a "Let me skip ahead and be viewed as a Master"

I took it as "Where do I begin?"

Just because he's been around TOTJO off and on dosn't mean he really focused on the process of things.

I could be wrong. But it shows how text can be interpreted on two completely separate ends of the scale

If you see your quote, I have highlighted some things that draw my attention.

You are viewed as negative, and positive at the same time by different people. I do not know how shy you are, but if you like using smileys, you should do it. If you do not like using smileys, you should not do it.
In the end, it all depends what you would like to do. I myself can not please every person, even if I would.. I do care what people think, I do care what people think of me.. But if I would not feel comfortable with it myself, I would not do it.
I would support you whatever side you would choose in displaying your text, with or without smileys. Please, just make sure you feel comfortable with it. It would make me feel comfortable too

Aqua wrote:

Kitsu Tails wrote:

Aqua wrote: Oo.. .. Body language is lost indeed.. We do have smileys at the forum, but they do not work as fine as a body.

I have a real problem at portraying my intentions. Often times they get viewed as a negative instead of a positive or just thinking. Used to be I wouldn't use smilies....people suggested that I try it. So I did....now people tell me I use them too much and it makes my posts appear smug and conceded....

In the end there is no pleasing people haha :laugh: I would hope that, as Jedi, we would infer the posative in peoples textual words and not the negative.....not so simple though.

Text is a mixed bag. But so is real life....I am alot more shy and inwards in real life and have just as much an issue portraying my thoughts in real life as I do in text.

Streen's post for example....I did not take it as a "Let me skip ahead and be viewed as a Master"

I took it as "Where do I begin?"

Just because he's been around TOTJO off and on dosn't mean he really focused on the process of things.

I could be wrong. But it shows how text can be interpreted on two completely separate ends of the scale

If you see your quote, I have highlighted some things that draw my attention.

You are viewed as negative, and positive at the same time by different people. I do not know how shy you are, but if you like using smileys, you should do it. If you do not like using smileys, you should not do it.
In the end, it all depends what you would like to do. I myself can not please every person, even if I would.. I do care what people think, I do care what people think of me.. But if I would not feel comfortable with it myself, I would not do it.
I would support you whatever side you would choose in displaying your text, with or without smileys. Please, just make sure you feel comfortable with it. It would make me feel comfortable too

I had no idea that my post would generate such reactions, but let me clarify some things...

I'm not asking to be made a Master. Personally I don't believe in "Jedi Masters". "Mentor" would be a better word, but I don't expect to be labeled as such officially here without doing some work. My main question was simply, "How much work do I have to do to get there?" It's been suggested to me by a certain member that I could try starting from the very beginning, but the thought of that honestly makes me feel weary. It's not laziness. People who might imply that it is don't know what I've been through or what I've seen and experienced over the past 20 years.

What I'd like to do is prove that I am capable of much more than being an apprentice. It's a little hard to claim that title while at the same time mentoring someone (yes, I currently have a student at Jediism Way). I would think that a place like TOTJO would bend certain rules when there are many people out there who have been Jedi much longer than this site has even existed.

If not, oh well. I'll go on teaching as I always have. I'm not saying all this for my own benefit anyway. I want to help. That's all.

I can not speak what the temple will do, it would be out of my place to be honest. If you truly want, you can finish IP within a day, you could be initiate within 60 days, and become a knight within 8 months as minimum If I do understand it correctly. Though I would not advise you to do it, the temple does have room to grand you knighthood within 10 months.

But I would like to ask you this, would it make you feel better? Would a apprentice feel better if he/ she would hear that you did finish it so quick? Can a apprentice feel comfortable around you then? And would you feel the responsibility if something would go wrong due it?

As I did asked before, do you have prove of your experience in 20 years? I think that I did not ask the correct question. I want to say sorry towards you for asking. I would like to mention that experience in years do not matter. What you did within the years does.

Hope that you will realize that the temple has requirements. These requirements are to safeguard the transfer of knowledge that is thought within the temple. Your knowledge might be there, but it is not controlled by the temple in any way. If I come towards the point of becoming apprentice, I will not choose a training master that uses knowledge that is taught outside the temple. I would have to redo my training if I would discover it. I can not take that risk.

I believe that the temple does not have rules to bully you in any way dearest experienced Jedi Streen, but safeguarding the transfer of knowledge allowed by the temple should be high on your list. I would recommend you to take the long path, even if you were allowed to have a title of Knighthood, very quick, it would be most likely that you would have not many apprentices because they would not trust it. At least, that is a possibility. I would not say some would not choose you because of it. It would be highly possible that it would happen.
If it would happen, and you would not have many apprentices, you would have not have your ultimate dream of mentor? Would that be worth it if you like teaching other people? Though you could go for one. But I guess you want a lot of apprentices. (guessing) I do not believe that it is worth it. Just my humble novice opinion.. Mind about it, and continue your way to what ever result it may bring you.



~ Aqua

Streen wrote: I would think that a place like TOTJO would bend certain rules when there are many people out there who have been Jedi much longer than this site has even existed.

The issue is that once you make that allowance for one, it opens doors that may be difficult to close.

I can see where he is going though, picture high school going on to college. At some point you have to take an assessment test to see I'd you retained your knowledge from high school..if you tested at a college trigonometry level for example you don't have to take that class again you can just choose to proceed. If there was something like that, an application and test followed by an interview and any supporting documents you could possibly do it that way. But coming up with the criteria for the test and all the extra man hours involved in putting all of that together and doing interviews and filtering out applications from just the wanna be knights etc, it would be a huge pain and cause a lot more problems then it would solve.

I do think there is room for a title of someone who has been knighted else where by a respectable community would be of merit. Where it would be obvious they are a knight if a different community but not here, they dont have any extra privileges then a member but it at least shows they are a more honorary guest of the site then just a member for sake of credentials, that would make sense to me anyway.

Tellahane wrote: I do think there is room for a title of someone who has been knighted else where by a respectable community would be of merit.

Yea...there was once. Ambassador roles. Way back in the day I was an Ambassador here at TOTJO. (Edit: I guess I should say...Old Old OLD Totjo haha) I did exactly what I do now....Work on providing history, handling interaction between communities and alerting everyone about new gatherings....now im just an Apprentice here.

I don't think Streen is concerned about Rank though. He is just asking for something to do to help out around here. A Job...not a rank...I was doing the same thing when I first came. I didn't really want to go through the whole "Master/Apprentice" process simply because I've had five Masters in my day and loosely taught many students out of here (they came to me) and other locations. I wanted to help. I didn't want to prove myself. I didn't want to be seen as something greater than everyone else. I just wanted to use the skills i have to help.....Its kind of what I do.

I chose freely to do the IP and go through the Apprentice roles because I have the time to do it. I am a stay at home mom and have left alot of the other community groups and past responsibilities. So...I have the time and I want to participate. Perhaps when/If I become a Knight I could work on something like you suggested Tellahane

However. Regardless...Streen. I could be wrong....but I tend to notice that the best way to help is to simply pick something out that you see needs help with and do it. Submit it for review and Ta Dah! You helped Pick one of the forum sections and start filling it up with topics and facts. I notice there is alot of questions about Meditations, something your good at if I recall Start sharing! Topics around here pop up rather slowly. I am sure they would love the help there.

Or your paintings start making painted portraits with the TOTJO logo and sell them to the temple members - use the money to support their hosting

Streen wrote: I would think that a place like TOTJO would bend certain rules when there are many people out there who have been Jedi much longer than this site has even existed.

If not, oh well. I'll go on teaching as I always have. I'm not saying all this for my own benefit anyway. I want to help. That's all.

I'm becoming more and more proud that they don't bend the rules. I don't see what the big hurry is. You can "teach by example" with or without a title. I've learned from guests here, too. It's just a matter of perspective.

I would think that a place like TOTJO would bend certain rules when there are many people out there who have been Jedi much longer than this site has even existed.

Prove your the type of person someone should bend rules for.

Again, so what that you have been a Jedi longer than this place has been here?

So far, you have posted links to other sites, and on behalf of someone who likened current Jedi groups to Pedophilia. By your own admission, you have not been an ally.

Since the past is so important then, and not the present, what in your past actions here, makes you think you deserve to have the rules bent for you?

More, you have proven they shouldnt be.

However, present actions(what you do now)....Perhaps not unlike Kit has just mentioned....could change that.

Whether or not rank is important, or even the IP,what is the problem with earning your place in some way instead of simply expecting it?