Posted July 23, 2020, 10:38 a.m. by Commander Garinder'Jen th'Jir (Executive Officer) (Gene Gibbs)
Posted by Lieutenant Revna Edman (Counselor) in Counselor - Check In
Posted by Commander Garinder’Jen th’Jir (Executive Officer) in Counselor - Check In
Posted by Lieutenant Revna Edman (Counselor) in Counselor - Check In
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Jen departed, noting that he really should block off his exercise time in the calendar lest it get interrupted by such things as .. this. However, he could not fault the counselor or the computer for logging the meeting when it did. He would simply have to do his run later. He had been finding an appropriate route around the saucer section, in that doing X laps will render a right distance. Jen did not like exercising thus in the holodeck. Unless one was mimicking where one was going to be stationed to and operating in, running on a sunset white sand beach was not conducive to the right mindset. This was training, not a walk in the park.Speaking of that .. he reached the Counselor’s office and buzzed.
- Jen, XORevna heard the chime and got up and walked over to the door. “Ah, Commander th’Jir. Please come in.” Upon entering the office it was very subdued. The harsh grays and blues that came standard were replaced by earth tones of browns, bronzes, greens, yellows, oranges, and deep reds. There were several areas to sit, couches, chairs, floor pillows. There didn’t appear to be a desk anywhere. The shelves were filled with pieces of art and memorabilia that honored her heritage. The pictures were a mix of landscapes and abstracts, carefully placed around the room so as not to clash with each other. The shelves also included an array of different objects, from singing bowls, to art supplies, to mandalas. There was also a computer interface to allow patients to choose the background noise of their choice.
Jen entered slowly, taking the room in. He wasn’t fond of the colors, preferring whites, greys and blues. Seating wasn’t an issue; indeed they could handle a whole group therapy session. He moved over to a shelf and looked at the items with interest. “Are these yours?” he asked, wondering if they were her creations.
Revna nodded, “Yes Sir they are. The middle shelves are all from my home. The rest I acquired on my time serving, or got simply because. You’re welcome to take them down.” Revna knew this particular meeting was as much about the Cmdr getting his evaluation done as it was for him to take measure of the new counselor.
The items did not look to have a theme as much as were set up from someone who liked this and that. As much as Jen liked ‘themes’ one walk through an art studio or curio shop and one would be cured of that sense of ‘what should be’. Despite the invitation he didn’t reach for anything at first.
“I’m Lt. Revna Edman, please have a seat. Would you like something to drink?“ Revna walked over to replicator. She was pleasantly relieved to see the XO show up so soon for an appt. She’d only sent the message a short time ago. Leading by example, and she approved. She wasn’t sure why command made these things mandatory. After particularly difficult missions, personal mental crisis, etc Revna understood. Revna felt that a short test with the computer or a brief conversation was really all that was needed to determine if an individual under normal circumstances was fit for duty.
Lt. Edman, CounselorJen didn’t immediately move to a seat, but did turn to answer her. “No, thank you,” he said. “I ate earlier.” Convention would suggest him to have something to make it more informal. While Jen respected ritual very much, in this case it was a chat and not necessary. “I admire your initiative in seeking out those who are ..” he smiled before turning back to inspect a mandala. “.. delinquent.”
- JenRevna chuckled, “Yes well, it’s still early. We shall see how successful I am. From the records Rinker sent to me the crew can be rather…” she had words, but decided to err on the side of politeness, “stubborn. I’ve never understood how command staff can face the things they do, but are afraid of me and a little chat.” She grinned. “I appreciate your own promptness.” She moved to a seat. If Jen wanted to take down the mandala or anything else she had a “for all” policy. “That particular mandala came from Tibet. I made a trip there when I was in college. I got to watch the monks create one from colored sand, and then destroy it.” she smiled at the memory and picked a small vial up from her desk and held it up. It was filled with a swirling mess of colored sand. “They gave each of us a small part of it as a blessing.”
LT. Endman, Counselor
“A physical test, or one that is more objectively judged by themselves is easier to take than the uncertainty of saying the wrong thing to a counselor and find themselves in a remedial class of this or that. It is like answering all the questions right on a test but failing the ‘temperature’ test at the end that you can’t control.” As she mentioned the mandala Jen reached for it and gently picked it up, looking at the detail in it. His head swiveled about at the mention of it being destroyed. “What? Why destroy their work of art? Did the monk not like it? Was it flawed?” Then, he added. “It is creatively made. What ‘is’ a mandala?”
- Jen, XORevna smiled, “A mandala is a picture and it can be made in many ways. It is usually symmetrical. The process of creating it is to bring peace and focus to the mind. This one,” she nods towards the one he has picked up, “is a puzzle. The pieces come out in a way you don’t quite expect. And so you find the pattern to return it to that form. If you do it without the board, you can make an endless number of mandalas, fit to whatever design you choose.” She places the little vial back on her desk. “The Tibetan monks believe nothing is permenant. Life, Earth, the Universe is always changing. So they create the mandala, and they enjoy it, the revel in the beauty, maybe for days,a and then when the time comes, they destroy it. It’s actually a very beautiful process. They believe the creating of the mandala is a holy experience. So they give the sand of the mandala as a blessing to others. What once was, will always be, just in a different form.”
“They are a people of ritual and discipline,” he concluded, not without a tone of respect. He still couldn’t quite understand the destruction. He had seen a great deal of destruction. It was easy to destroy. It was not so easy to build. But to create a beautiful thing and then destroy it precipitately was against his values. “It is a difficult thing to imagine, destroying it. I would rather it be left to be enjoyed. But then I am not a Tibetan monk.”
Revna considered his words, “Well then would you prefer me to put the cortical recorders on and we sit down at the desk for a more physical test than a conversation? Though I’ve never seen the need to send someone to a ‘class.’ They aren’t effective unless the person wants to be there.”
Lt. Edman, Counselor
His thought must not have gone across properly. Frowning he tried a different tack. “If you run a three mile course under your requisite time you know you have passed.” Glancing at her again before putting the mandala back on the shelf he said, “Sometimes in a conversation you don’t know quite how it has gone.” Jen shifted his attention and moved to one of the chairs and sat, leaning forward, elbows on knees. “What do you look for? What triggers your antennae?”
- Jen
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