Ouch
Published: Mon, 06/02/14
On Wednesday last week I finally fitted the refurbished door in the
Stav Centre. The reinforced glass arrived so I was able to fit the
lock and hinges and hang it in place of the double glazed version
with the broken glass in the bottom section. It is a big
improvement. However, while fitting the lock I cut the palm of my
left hand with a chisel. It isn't serious, not even worth
putting a plaster on and I have been more or less ignoring it.
Except on Wednesday I went to visit a friend who has been in
hospital in Yeovil. Before entering the ward you are supposed to
sterilise your hands with a gel which comes out of a dispenser on
the wall. I am not quite sure what this gel is but it smells
pretty strong. Last week I went through the hand sterilising
procedure without giving it much thought but on Wednesday evening
I had quite a start from the pain where the gel entered the cut on
my hand. I had been trying to ignore the cut but I was reminded
sharply, and for a moment, quite painfully.
The Thor rune is the sign of protection. Yes, Thor is the
strongest of the Aesir and has his hammer Molinjor, the most deadly
of weapons. Yet the primary meaning of Thor is thorn, something
sharp which can prick and hurt us but is rarely dangerous as such
on its own. A thorn can be used as a weapon against an opponent
but really a thorn protects us most effectively when we are
reminded of our own vulnerability. Being aware of our
vulnerability should make us careful of attracting or creating
violence. We don't want to become afraid of interacting with
the world, just conscious that striving for peace and harmony is
better than trying to get our own way through aggression and
conflict. Even when we are certain that those we are intimidating
are incapable of hitting back then we are simply bullies and that
is nothing to be proud of.
On Saturday there is a course in Crewkerne at the Stav Centre. I
will be looking at how to train in Stav. Obviously this covers
learning certain skills such as how to do the stances and train
with the staff. But equally important is developing awareness of
ourselves and the world around us. I will be exploring how Stav
training helps us do this. http://www.iceandfire.org.uk/train.html
regards
Graham