Some of the New Agers knew who I was due to my giving a few classes in Norse esoteric practices. Intuitively, they knew I was not one of them. One of our neighbors was part of a New Age clique. Dorothy was an older woman who had a couple of old poodles. On some days of the week, you could see women in their late 20s and early 30s hovering around her apartment entrance. They were emotionally needy types seeking Dorothy’s guidance in order to fill whatever they thought was missing in their lives.
Dorothy told us that she got into the New Age because she began to see things. She said she could see ghosts, aliens and other strange phenomena. My wife ands I doubted her psychic abilities. The old woman was friendly and personable, so we did not make anything of it.
One day, Dorothy asked if I would consider giving a class on the Runes for her group. The coordinator was a chiropractor. She asked me to call him. Back then, giving classes was an easy way to make extra money.
I called the chiropractor. Right away, I had to keep from laughing. He was one of those pretentious people who try to talk as if they are artsy. How they really sound is like the stereotypical caricature of a gay man. Think of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s portrayal of Truman Capote. I had run into this type before.
The arrangements were made for the class. The way we arranged it, people paid a certain amount. The host and I split the profits. The price we agreed upon for the class was $20.
A couple weeks later, I dropped copies of some of my texts at the New Age shop. While there, I saw a brochure that advertised classes. It had the chiropractor’s name on the cover. For some reason, he had not sent me a copy. I looked to see how my class was listed. It was. And to my dismay, it was listed at $9. That was less than half of the agreed-upon amount.
When I got home, I made a point of calling the chiropractor. He answered in his pretentious artsy voice. I told him there was a problem about the price. He said I had not been definite about the price and he did not expect to pay me what I asked. When it comes to money, I am always definite and clear. I held my ground.
“Well, I guess we won’t have your class, then,” he said. This was funny. I knew by the tone of his voice that he expected me to relent and beg to let me give the class. That surprised me only for a moment. Obviously, he did now know with whom he was dealing. After all, if you try to screw the average person out of his cut, he is not going to give you what you want. In that instant, I realized something. Most of the New Agers would have given in because they so wanted to be recognized. They would have begged for the opportunity to give a class.
But I am not a New Ager.
“Okay, then we won’t,” I said. There was no sound for a few seconds. The man was stunned by my reaction. He fully expected me to relent, as if giving a class were a privilege. I laughed and hung up.
That is part of the New Age mentality. These people were so intent on being a somebody that they would do anything for a chance to give a class or otherwise show that they were not just part of the crowd. They reminded me of people who would take a cut in pay just to get a better title.
Needless to say, I did not give the class.
For a couple of months afterward, Dorothy gave us the cold shoulder. She ignored us as if we were not there. Audrey and I laughed about the whole thing. “She can see aliens and ghosts and spirits, but I guess she can’t see us,” we joked.,
At that point ,we pretty much had our fill of trying to do business with New Agers. Though we only dealt with them for a few months, that was enough!
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