Backwoods Boy

Thanks for your observations, Flip Flop. Your comments always make me smile. For your information, the vision quest site exists as described and was used in the past as indicated . It was shown to me by my uncle, who had a great interest in American Indian culture.

Thanks for reading and for your comments, Chris. Benny is a useful mentor

So, Dallen is finally getting a few answers, but he has to look further for more.

Having a crush on an older boy at that age can be confusing and potentially devastating - or not, depending on the individuals

Neither with nor without appeals to me. To quote a fellow employee when I was in the aviation industry, "Who in their right mind would jump out of an airplane with a perfectly good running engine."

Thanks for your comments and you support, Daddy Dave. I'm happy you're enjoying the story

"You miss him, don't you?" Mom observed. I sat at the table, staring at my uneaten lunch. I'd been moping around the house all morning, completely at loose ends with nothing to do. Once upon a time, I'd been happy alone in the woods. Now, I wasn't complete without Tocho. I'd visited him every day for a week now, but a couple of hours indoors wasn't enough. At the moment, I couldn't even go visit him because he was at the doctor's office getting his ankle checked. I was having a pity pa

To put it succinctly, it's a wish that inspired writing in retirement.

Thanks for commenting, Al. I haven't mentioned a surname to this point, so your recollection is correct. I'm loving your crystal ball. Of course I can't comment on it's revelations yet, but you've pointed out some interesting possibilities that may deserve discussion later on.

Thanks much for your kind comments. It sure would be nice if we all could have that kind of sensitivity and empathy

I always aim to please, my friend

Thanks, Doc. I appreciate your musings on possible directions for Pahana's abilities, but I'll have to refrain from commenting for now

Thanks for sticking with me here, VBlew. I'm glad you enjoyed this chapter.

Isn't it fun to speculate and then later see how close you were? Or weren't? Some of the fun I have is knowing that before you do

The outcome was 13 Virtues that would guide his daily life. The following are those virtues, which are as relevant today as they were in the 1700’s. 1. Temperance Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation. An individual should not overindulge in food or drink. The first virtue essentially set the tone for the rest. Franklin believed that temperance allowed the mind and body to work at an optimal level, making the other virtues possible. 2. Silence Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation. Franklin learned the importance of listening at his self organized junto (club) meetings. He could easily talk for hours, but it offered little in the way of learning. Rather, he realized that to acquire knowledge he must instead listen, which often meant silence. 3. Order Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time. Franklin was ambitious and had many interests. He believed that order would allow him to pursue all things, as long as they were done efficiently. While Franklin struggled with this virtue, he appreciated the idea behind it and worked to improve it. 4. Resolution Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve. Simply put, you must do what you set out to. This was as much relevant to his mastery of the virtues as the rest of his life. He believed that resolve and discipline made the man. 5. Frugality Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e. waste nothing. Spend less than you earn. Sounds simple enough, yet typically we do the exact opposite. Living frugally not only keeps you humble, but it teaches you the value of money. 6. Industry Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions. Time is money. Related to frugality, Franklin believed that being ever useful was the key to success. Being deliberate in how you spend your time can define the outlook of your life. 7. Sincerity Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly. Don’t gossip, spread rumors, or be deceitful. This no doubt was born from his role as a printer, but an essential virtue all the same. Think before you speak and if you speak, only speak the truth. 8. Justice Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty. Live life by doing what is right. While we often focus too much on ourselves, it is important to also see how your actions impact others. Try not to do harm to anyone in life. 9. Moderation Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve. Everything should be balanced and engaged in moderately. Extremes are rarely the answer. Our culture may guide us to the opposite, but seeking moderation in all parts of life, keeps things in balance. 10. Cleanliness Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation. A person should be well kept. Having cleanliness of body and home is a representation of your attention to detail and discipline. Take the time to take care of yourself and your environment. 11. Tranquility Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable. Don’t get upset about the little things, as it does more harm than good. Learn to be tranquil and at peace with issues that are clearly out of your control. Don’t let them control you. 12. Chastity Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation. This may be even more important today. Being aware of your actions when it comes to sex and the perception that it carries is as important as ever. Be smart and be careful. 13. Humility Imitate Jesus and Socrates. Last but not least is humility. We need to keep our pride in check and not be over-confident in ourselves or our actions. Practice humility and you will be well-liked, but also well-equipped to face any challenges. Humility was a late addition to the list of virtues. A friend pointed out Franklin’s weakness when it came to pride. In truth, Franklin struggled with humility throughout his life, but was always mindful of it. It’s quite the list of virtues and certainly nothing easy to live up to. Even so, Franklin worked at these virtues throughout his life, but how he did so is just as interesting. He realized that taking on all 13 of these virtues at once was a recipe for disaster. He wouldn’t make any progress and fail repeatedly. Instead, he devised a simple system that would allow him to focus on a single virtue every week over 13 weeks. After the 13 weeks finished, he would begin again, completing the routine 4 times every year. The hope was that the work of previous weeks would trickle forward as he went through the cycle. He kept track of his progress in a notebook, where he marked his success or failure on every day of every week. If the above doesn’t impress you, his approach for forming habits should. The wisdom Franklin used here shows how well he understood the world of self-improvement. Let’s look at the techniques he employed. Ben Franklin was a wise man.

More clues for Dallen to think about, and yes they all keep dropping hints and passing the buck. So, here's a little hint for you. The title of tomorrow's chapter is Mentoring.

As always, thanks for your comments, Flip Flop. I like the way you put things together, some of which may have been subconscious on my part. As for Grandfather's participation, I think you won't be disappointed

Quite true, but in retrospect, I wish I'd tried a lot more

Are you trying to provide material for a sequel, Reader Paul? I think I've seen that activity somewhere else in the past

Thanks for commenting, Scrubber. Let's hope Dallen doesn't let his skills and popularity go to his head

With his one-sided connection, Pahana's empathy is being to resemble that of Deanna Troi of Star Trek fame. He could make a career as a rent boy, but I doubt if that will happen

Another quote from ancient times comes to mind: "... only The Shadow knows..." I suspect Kenji will recover soon, but for now, only The Shadow knows that too

Thanks for commenting again, Chris. Yes, more discoveries. But where are the powers coming from?

Precisely

Thanks for those relevant quotes from a very relevant source, Geron