Wisdom in Story - Somewhere Sombody Loves that Boy

Somewhere, Somebody Loves that Boy

There were only a few, popular boys,
With whom the other children laughed,
And played, and talked.
They were what other boys wished to be.
And one of those boys, who wished, was me.

They were smart; and they were cool.
They were the important ones at school.
My chance to be popular finally came.
They asked me to join them in one of their games.
I came in great haste to join in their fun.
And was filled with joy to have finally won,
The thing I most wanted, popularity.

Now I was proud; I was smart; I was cool.
So when Johnny walked by, I broke my first rule.
I was taught to be good, kind, never mean,
But the popular boys didn't do those things.
So we laughed at Johnny and made fun of his clothes.
We pushed him, mocked him and brought him down low.
It was really no harm, just part of the fun.
Johnny was nobody; he was no one.

I walked home from school, quite proud of myself.
I was popular now, not put down on a shelf.
But inside, a needle pricked at my heart.
My conscience dug in and took from me, a small part.
I was sorry, a little, to have made Johnny cry.
But I was popular now and I didn't care why.

At night when I went to my knees to pray;
A voice from within me began to say:

"You may not care how Johnny feels,
For the wounds, in his heart, that he conceals
But somewhere, somebody loves that boy,
And somewhere, somebody's proud of him.
Somewhere he fills someone's heart with joy.
Somewhere, he too has family and friends.
Yes, somewhere, somebody loves that boy,
And sees the best in him."

The words went away; but my mind never slept.
My heart swelled up big in my soul and I wept.
I was truly sorry for what I had done.
But the sorrows I had now, had just begun.
I tossed and turned in my bed that night,
And wondered, if ever, I could make things right.

When I walked down the road to school the next day,
I saw hurt and broken Johnny along my way.
I quickened toward him; my sorrows to say;
But as I drew closer, he hurried away.
My heart gave a leap, then fell back in my chest.
It hurt me inside, though I had tried my best.

At recess, when the popular boys asked me to play,
I just shrugged my shoulders and walked away.
I went and found Johnny, by himself, all alone,
Tears on his cheeks, and his clothes worn and torn,
Then sitting beside him, "I'm sorry," I said.
He lifted up sharply, then again dropped his head.

He didn't say anything, nothing at all.
So I stepped up before him, stood straight and tall.
And looking upon him, "I'm sorry," I said.
Then his face made a smile and he lifted his head.
"Thank you," He said, from the smile that he wore.
"Nobody's said that to me, before."

So Johnny and I; we played on the swings,
While the popular boys, did other things.
They played with their trucks, and cars, and play guns.
And Johnny and I, we made our own fun.
We played in the mud and climbed in the trees.
And Johnny was happy, as I hoped he would be.

The popular boys then beckoned to me.
Come play with us, and leave Johnny be.
They bragged of their fun, of their games and their toys.
And said that I should come play with them.
But I couldn't be a popular boy,
'Cause unpopular Johnny is my best friend.

  

Find this story and many others in Wisdom's Way: Tales, Treasures, Truths - available at jemelww.com

Somewhere Somebody Loves That Boy is a poem excerpt from Wisdom's Way: Tales, Treasures, Truths

Copyright 2010 Steven A. Barben

The Stone Truth - Jasper, Agate or Not?

JASPER, AGATE OR NOT?

Origins and History

Botswana Agate at Jemel

       In ancient times, agate was defined as the beautiful translucent and opaque banded chalcedony found within geodes or nodules in basalt or other volcanic rock. It was named after the Achates River (now the Drillo River) in Sicily, still a major source, and was used by the Egyptians before 3000 B.C.

       The literal definition of jasper is “spotted or speckled stone”, though the jasper stone of the past probably didn’t follow its definition, as jasper was most often a green stone, spotted, speckled, or not; and may have been a green jasper as defined in modern terms or possibly nephrite jade or chrysoprase. In time, the typical jasper would become better known as an opaque red chalcedony often found in association with sedimentary iron ore deposits.

Modern Modifications

       Identifying characteristics distinguishing the two stone definitions began to emerge, specifically: agate – cryptocrystalline quartz derived from geodes or nodules, of volcanic origin, translucent to opaque, and displaying an organized pattern (lines or bands, concentric circles, etc.); and jasper – amorphous or microcrystalline quartz, massive, of sedimentary origin, opaque, and of a consistent color or displaying an unorganized pattern (spots, speckles, dots, blotches, etc.), or no recognizable pattern at all.

       What might be considered true agates or true jaspers still retain these definitions. However, with the great variety of agates and jaspers currently available, including new discoveries, many cross definition boundaries, sometimes in multiple ways and could easily be called agate-jaspers or jasper-agates. While a cryptocrystalline (fibrous structure) characteristic can be quite easily seen in translucent agates, it’s not easily detected in any opaque stone, so some jaspers could also have a cryptocrystalline structure. Because of their translucent characteristic, it can accurately be said that agates are of volcanic origin, since sedimentary chalcedony is generally composed of compressed quartz grains, clay, and other impurities that make it opaque. But red, yellow, green, black, brown, and many other jaspers can be and often are formed by volcanic processes as well as sedimentary, so the volcanic identifier doesn’t differentiate jaspers from agates. Chalcedony varieties with many agate characteristics are not always confined to geodes or nodules, and neither agates nor jaspers are always defined by translucency or opaqueness, or by organized or unorganized patterns.

Commercial Influence

       This leads us to answer the question of who decides what names to give stones with agate, jasper, or mixed agate and jasper characteristics. And, the answer is not always the same. Generally names are determined either by a discoverer of a stone, a commercial entity that first brings a stone to market, or a name simply emerges from what a group of people or the general public begins to call it.

       Usually, whoever determines the name of a stone tries to use the given definitions as foundations or, at minimum, guidelines for their decisions. For many stones like Brazilian Agate, Botswana Agate, Red Jasper, Yellow Jasper, and Fancy Jasper, naming is easy because they all fit into their definitions

Bruneau Jasper at Jemel

well. However, stones that don’t fit well into one definition or the other are many as well. Some examples include Moss Agate, Montana Agate, Pigeon Blood Agate (translucent, but unorganized pattern, and generally massive); Mexican Crazy Lace Agate, Blue Lace Agate (wavy organized pattern, but massive as crusts and seams, and opaque to only slightly translucent); and Bruneau Jasper, Biggs Jasper, Picture Jasper (opaque and massive, but wavy semi-organized pattern). Typically, it appears that if agate characteristics are found in a chalcedony based stone, the agate name takes precedence.

Rainforest Rhyolite at Jemel

       It is also worth mentioning that some stones called jasper may not be jaspers at all by modern definition. The original name for Rainforest Jasper was actually Rainforest Rhyolite. Rainforest Jasper, Leopardskin Jasper, Poppy Jasper, Ocean Jasper, and other orbicular jaspers all have a rhyolite (some varieties perlitic, spherulitic and massive) appearance, so therefore are likely rhyolites. However, most rhyolites don’t take a high polish as these stones do, so these therefore must have a high quartz content. They also actually meet the original definition of jasper – “spotted or speckled stone” better than most jaspers of modern definition.

       Caution should be taken with at least one stone, often called jasper, which is not and should not be called jasper. While there is a true Picasso Jasper available, much of what is called Picasso Jasper was originally called Picasso Marble. And whether the jasper name has resulted from confusion by an innocent or ignorant public, because the two stones are somewhat similar in appearance, or because of some commercial modification for increased popularity, most stones of richer color variation and beauty are, in fact, marble, not jasper. Marble is a calcite (calcium carbonate) based stone, not quartz/chalcedony (silicon dioxide) based. This means that, though beautiful and attractive in its own right, Picasso Marble is much softer (hardness = 3-3.5) than jasper (hardness = 7), and therefore not as scratch resistant or as durable as a true jasper.

Find many of these natural stone pendants at jemelww.com

Copyright 2015 Steven A. Barben 

General References

Pough, Frederick. 1983. Peterson Field Guides: A Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals.

        Houghton Mifflin Co.

Mottana, Annibale; Crespi, Rodolfo; and Liborio, Giuseppe. 1978. Simon & Shuster’s Guide  to

        Rocks  and Minerals. Simon & Shuster Inc.

Note: Minor sources may include, but are not limited to a variety of printed and online sources as well as observation and experience.

Wonder in Stone - Jasper

                                                                     JASPER


HARDNESS: 7
DENSITY: 2.65
FORMULA: SiO2

Pigeon Blood Jasper at jemelww.com

- COMPOSITION: Silicon dioxide with other mineral impurities, usually iron and manganese.
- COLOR/DESCRIPTION: Very broad range of colors, almost any color or combination of colors
possible. The most common colors are red, yellow, green, black, brown, caramel and white. Jasper is the name given to the group of the opaque varieties of chalcedony. It takes a high glossy polish and is most valued for its earth tone colors and scenic patterns.
- LOCATION/ORIGIN: Many locations; formed in sedimentary and igneous (volcanic) environments as microcrystalline precipitates from aqueous solutions, dehydration of opal or low-temperature volcanic activity, often filling cavities in cooling lava.
- HISTORY/FOLKLORE/USES: Jasper was one of the stones set in the breastplates of the high priests of Israel in ancient times. Folklore suggests that it was highly regarded as a bringer of rain. It was also believed to drive away evil spirits from the wearer and protect from and draw out poisonous venoms.
- ZODIAC: Leo and Taurus
- EMOTION/MOOD: Nurturing stone, methodical consistency, stress relief, endurance, general healing and health maintenance, concentration and sharp focus on long-term goals.
- OCCUPATION: Advertising, Chiropractor, Communications, Executive, Guard or Policeman, Management, Politician, Scientist, Veterinarian.


                                                                   A JASPER TALE

    

Hema Jasper at jemelww.com

     You’ve been exploring and adventuring for an entire week. It’s been a soul filling experience and one you won’t soon forget. You’ve walked across miles of desert, hiked steep rocky trails and crossed narrow stream beds and wide canyons. You’ve taken in vast breathtaking views and witnessed wondrous landscapes. You’ve challenged and defeated sand and shale, slippery gravel textured conglomerate hills, boulder-strewn mountainsides and almost every other imaginable obstacle.
      Your body is tired, sore and feels completely worn out. It’s begging and pleading with you to take it home for a warm bath and a long rest. You won’t give in to it. You can’t give in to it. You haven’t completed your goal or finished your course. Your mind insists that you do so before letting your body have its way.
You are now at the base of a towering wall of rock. The finish line is only to be found at its top. Your body is arguing that it is an impossible task, but you’ve made your decision in advance and your mind is determined to keep the promise. So you begin.
      You put on your rock shoes, attach your harness, secure your rack, stake your first anchor and complete a body check to make sure you haven’t forgotten some simple set-up step that could take your life.
      You’re now clinging to the granite face about twenty feet up when John and a few wall rat friends arrive at the base. They holler a few jeers at you. You stretch and grunt to maneuver to a crack. You jam a cam in the slit, clip your rope and return to methodical concentration. You are somewhat relieved that John now holds the rope below to secure your safety. You twist and contort your body around a jutting ridge in the wall and pull yourself up onto a flattop. You drill and bolt a firm anchor and establish a belay point here.
      Andrea is beginning her ascent, soon to be followed by the others. You wait and watch for a while, then begin climbing the next leg of your journey up the massive monolith. You arrive at the base of a chimney, pin your body between its walls and edge your way up the dark narrow opening. You find another flattop at its end and establish another belay point. You take a glance at your watch. You’ve been climbing for over two hours. You stare up along the sharp steep wall and into the sky. You cannot see the top, though you feel it drawing near. You chalk your hands in preparation for the

Picture Jasper at jemelww.com

last and, as you have guessed from a distance, most difficult leg of the climb.
      You move up the final length of the wall slowly and meticulously, continually careful to maintain hand and foot holds. You are forced to take more time to drill and set bolts. You find yourself often in many awkward positions. You enjoy putting your body into them; it’s part of the thrill of the course. You must traverse along the wall now to ascend a better route. You slide across the smooth flat surface periodically anchoring your rope. You discover a thin crack. You thrust in a ball nut for protection and continue in like manner along this line to the top.
      You are exhausted but elated. A new source of energy fills your being. You have conquered this great stone. You have finished a competition with yourself and won. You wait for the others, they all arrive within an hour and you celebrate your personal and group conquest together in quiet peaceful enjoyment of a panoramic view of the beautiful world around you.

Copyright  2015 Steven A. Barben

Find  Jasper pendants at jemelww.com

General References:

Pough, Frederick. 1983. Peterson Field Guides: A Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals.
         Houghton Mifflin Co.
Mottana, Annibale; Crespi, Rodolfo; and Liborio, Giuseppe. 1978. Simon & Shuster’s Guide
         to Rocks and Minerals. Simon & Shuster Inc.
Sullivan, Kevin. 1987. The Crystal Handbook. Armadillo Press.

Note: Minor sources may include, but are not limited to a variety of printed and online sources.
“An Jasper Tale” is an original story by Steven A. Barben – author of this blog.

Wisdom in Story - Two Boys and a Wounded Dove

                                     
                                            Two Boys and a Wounded Dove

     

Giving heed to the common misdeeds of youth, two boys once wounded a dove. Calling out in a silent cry of pain, the bird fell from the treetops to the ground. The boys then hurried to their vulnerable, innocent victim. One of the boys quickly picked up a large stone and said to the other:
"Our families, friends and peers will soon hear this bird's squawking and know what we've done. Let us end this bird’s cries with its death."
      However the other boy had pity on the bird's suffering and misery. "Rather," said he, "let us take the bird, care for its wounds, repair, if possible, the damage we have done and set the dove free."
      Now you may wonder what the two boys did with the dove. Oh, I'll tell you what they did.

While one boy looked upon the bird with regret, sorrow and compassion, the other boy tortured and killed the beautiful dove.
      So now then, as you consider the actions of each of these two boys, you may also wonder why they did as they did; and it should be of interest and to your benefit to ponder upon their attitudes and intentions. But it doesn't so much matter what these boys did with this dove. More important: what will you do with yours?

Find this story and many others in Wisdom's Way: Tales, Treasures, Truths at jemelww.com

Two Boys and a Wounded Dove is a story excerpt from Wisdom's Way: Tales, Treasures, Truths

Copyright 2010 Steven A. Barben

The Stone Truth - Quartz: Mother of Many Gems

     QUARTZ: MOTHER OF MANY GEMS

     Quartz is a very common stone among gems, and probably much more common than is generally known, as the name “quartz” has only been associated with some of the crystalline varieties. I can’t tell you all of the reasons why the name has kept a rather low profile, but it appears that many of the names given to different varieties of quartz were historically given before quartz itself was defined by composition and crystalline habit. Other reasons may be because it is not considered an attractive or popular name commercially, and the name could easily be over used if all or many in the quartz family of stones contained quartz in their names.      

       So what gemstones are actually quartz? The purpose of this article is to explain, clarify, and help readers understand the relationships of the many gemstones in the quartz family.

       By definition, quartz is silicon dioxide (SiO₂). It has a hardness of 7; harder than glass (with a hardness of about 5 to 5.5). It is a relatively light stone with a density of 2.65 (or 2.65 times heavier than water). Excepting a few rare minerals, every kind of mineral or stone composed of silicon dioxide is quartz.

       Quartz is divided into two general classes which are further divided into subclasses. The general classes are Crystalline Quartz and Chalcedony. Crystalline Quartz includes any variety of quartz with clearly observable hexagonal/pyramidal crystals. Chalcedony includes all amorphous, micro and cryptocrystalline varieties of quartz.

Crystalline Quartz Varieties

      

       Crystalline varieties of quartz in the gem world are transparent to translucent, and are of generally higher value than the Chalcedony varieties, especially when exhibiting consistent and rich color saturation, and/or are faceted. They are usually formed under volcanic or hydrothermal (superheated water) conditions, followed by relatively slow cooling. The sub classes are defined simply by crystal size.

Quartz Crystal at jemelww.com

       In the large crystal class, each stone type has its own name. Some stones have still retained the quartz name. These include Quartz Crystal (clear variety), which is often instead called Rock Crystal or simply just “Crystal”; Rose Quartz (pink variety); Smoky Quartz (grey, brown, or black variety); Rutilated Quartz, (rutile crystals within clear quartz); Tourmalinated Quartz (tourmaline crystals within clear quartz); and Dendritic Quartz (dendritic manganese or other moss-like inclusions within clear quartz). Also in the large crystal class are Amethyst (lavender to purple variety), and Citrine (golden yellow to yellow-orange variety).

       Generally, the small crystal class is simply called Drusy or Druzy. Originally drusy was defined as crusts of tiny crystals lining the inside of an agate or rhyolite geode, but the term has expanded to include many kinds of tiny crystal crusts with no regard to their origin or kind of formation. This has sometimes led to more specific distinguishing names such as agate drusy or drusy chalcedony. While the term drusy alone is commonly understood to mean a fine quartz crystal crust, because of an increased variety of small crystal crusts, it is often further clarified by adding a stone name either before or after the term, such as amethyst drusy or drusy quartz. There are many kinds of crystal crusts called drusy, including minerals outside the quartz family. Pyrite drusy is one example. Crystals on a drusy stone typically have a size range from fine to coarse sand. Drusy stones are valued mostly for their sparkling or shimmering surface.

      

Chalcedony Varieties

       Chalcedony varieties of quartz in the gem world are typically translucent to opaque. They may be formed under volcanic or hydrothermal (superheated water) conditions, followed by relatively rapid cooling; or in either sedimentary or metamorphic environments. The subclasses are Chalcedony, Agate, and Jasper with some few stones somewhat associated with one of these classes, but nevertheless in classes of their own.

Brown Chalcedony Rose at jemelww.com

       The general Chalcedony class includes most stones that are not further defined by either the agate or jasper classes. White, Brown, and Black Chalcedony, and Chalcedony Roses (uniquely shaped bubbled and rippled free form stones) are part of this class, as well as Carnelian (orange to orange brown), Blue Chalcedony (light blue to medium blue-grey), and Chrysoprase (green to yellow-green). All of these stones are typically translucent to some degree and often appear to radiate light or have a glowing effect.

       There is some confusion in distinguishing the differences between the Agate and Jasper subclasses in reference to historical, modern, and commercial definitions (a topic for further discussion), but agate is usually defined as cryptocrystalline (fine fibrous crystal structure) quartz, translucent to opaque, with an ordered pattern of lines, bands, layers, concentric circles, etc. The Agate subclass includes: Botswana Agate (fine concentric lines of clear, white, brown and grey); Blue Lace Agate (alternating bands of different shades of light blue); Brazilian Agate (Bands of varying shades of translucent grey or brown), and a great many others – too many to list.

           

Bloodstone at jemelww.com

The Jasper subclass is usually defined as amorphous to microcrystalline quartz, opaque (no light can pass through), with either random, disordered pattern, or no pattern at all. Some jaspers may be cryptocrystalline as well, but since they are opaque, the cryptocrystalline structure cannot be observed. The Jasper subclass includes: Red, Yellow, or Green Jasper; Bloodstone (green with red spots and splotches); Picture Jasper (random wavy patterns of yellow-tan, brown and black); and a great many others – also too many to list.

       A few stones generally fall under the Chalcedony class, but do not quite fit into any of the sub- classes. These include replacement stones such as Petrified Wood (ancient wood replaced by quartz – var, jasper) and Tiger’s Eye (fibrous crystals of crocidolite, riebeckite, or other asbestos like minerals replaced by quartz); and metamorphic quartz (quartzite) gem called Aventurine (green, red, white, or orange-coral color with sparkling flecks of tiny mica or goethite crystals)

           

Copyright 2015 Steven A. Barben

General References

Pough, Frederick. 1983. Peterson Field Guides: A Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals.

        Houghton Mifflin Co.

Mottana, Annibale; Crespi, Rodolfo; and Liborio, Giuseppe. 1978. Simon & Shuster’s                  Guide  to Rocks and Minerals. Simon & Shuster Inc.

Note: Minor sources may include, but are not limited to a variety of printed and online sources.

Wonder in Stone - Agate

AGATE

 

Agate at jemelww.com

HARDNESS: 7    

DENSITY: 2.65                                                

FORMULA: SiO₂  

-      COMPOSITION: Silicon dioxide with iron, manganese and other mineral impurities. 

-   COLOR/DESCRIPTION: Mixed variety of colors, commonly clear, white, brown, black gray, light blue, or yellow/orange.  Agate is defined as a variety of chalcedony (microcrystalline to cryptocrystalline quartz) that shows transparency, translucency and/or ordered patterns in the stone (lines, banding, swirls, concentric circles, etc.) 

-     LOCATION/ORIGIN: Many locations; formed in igneous (volcanic) environments as precipitates from aqueous solutions, dehydration of opal or low temperature volcanic activity, often filling cavities in cooling lava, but commonly found in sedimentary environments after extensive weathering of surrounding host rock.

-      HISTORY/FOLKLORE/USES: Named after the Achates River (now the Drillo River) in Sicily, which is still a major source. Agate was valued by ancient civilizations.  It was used by the Egyptians before 3000 B.C.

-      ZODIAC: Gemini 

-      EMOTION/MOOD: A grounding stone for physical and emotional balance; self-acceptance and self-confidence. 

-      OCCUPATION:  Dentist, Executive, Management, Optometrist.

Botswana Agate at jemelww.com

AN AGATE KIND OF TALE

       You and a few friends have decided to take a long exploration trip through the desert.  Your long walk begins under the hot rays of the sun across dunes and plateaus of ruddy red sand and sandstone. 

       You discover a thin dry stream bed and follow it.  It cuts into the ground and takes you deep into a narrow gulch of twisted swirling sand stone walls.  The air is cool and damp. Shadowy darkness surrounds you.  A trickling stream of water has entered in from somewhere. You contort your body around multiple obstacles and slither between narrow walls.  A shaft of light enters in above you and gives the sandstone a soft orange glow.  You feel calm and comforted, as if time has somehow slowed or stopped and you have the power to resume it when or if you want to.

       Another slot enters the one you’re in. Some members of your group want to take it. “It might be a short cut.” One of them says, “Or maybe just a better way,” another remarks. It’s a temptation. You consider it for a moment, but you know slot canyons well enough. Although another course might appear to be easier, one never knows where an unfamiliar slot canyon goes. You continue on in the slot you’re in. With some disappointment, your friends follow you.

       You exit the slot canyon and follow the trickling stream to a clear pool.  You cool yourself with water. Someone is wondering if you know where you are.  You might be wondering yourself.  You're not. You know very well where you are and where you are going.

Moss Agate at jemelww.com

       Walking time passes. Some of your companions become concerned. They’ve become worried that you have taken them all the wrong way, and now everyone is lost. You come to the edge of a wide river.  In a moment some other friends meet you there as planned.  Of course this was all planned.  Nobody goes roaming around in the desert without a plan.

       These friends have been on a river raft adventure of their own.  You and your hiking group jump in with them.  The raft takes you a short distance and enters into a large lake.  You watch ripples drift away from the raft.  You are tired.  While other people paddle, you fall asleep to the gentle rocking motion of the water.

       You awaken.  You are lying on warm sand listening to waves roll against the shore.  You wonder where everyone has gone.  You begin to panic.  You feel like you've been abandoned.  You get up from the sand and start calling out names.  Nobody answers.  Then you hear laughter somewhere behind a sandstone monument.  Okay good joke, you think.    

Copyright  2015 Steven A. Barben

Find unique wired agate stone pendants at jemelww.com

General References

Pough, Frederick. 1983. Peterson Field Guides: A Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals.

        Houghton Mifflin Co.

Mottana, Annibale; Crespi, Rodolfo; and Liborio, Giuseppe. 1978. Simon & Shuster’s Guide

        to Rocks and Minerals. Simon & Shuster Inc.

Sullivan, Kevin. 1987. The Crystal Handbook. Armadillo Press.

Note: Minor sources may include, but are not limited to a variety of printed and online sources.

“An Agate Kind of Tale” is an original story by Steven A. Barben – author of this blog.