Kim Harrison – that’s me
I’m a thinker. My favorite musings are out-of-the-box, so I threw away the box. I am a life-long learner. Officially I have degrees in Family & Consumer Economics, Business Management and Library & Information Science & Technology. Informally I know a little bit about a lot of things, from Origami to the best way to get grease out of a tablecloth, from organic gardening to creating a personal blog. But, like Socrates, I know that I know, well, not “nothing,– but certainly not everything about anything. Not even close.
I currently operate a Bed & Breakfast in New Braunfels, Texas. I would like to try my hand at librarianship or as a museum curator or guide – thus the MLIS degree. At the urging of my brother-in-law, a writer, journalist and educator himself – I have embarked on journey toward a freelance writing or independent information research career – thus the creation of a blog. In my spare time I enjoy practicing Origami, crocheting, cooking, listening to NPR (what else?), gardening, or “yarding” since I really don’t have a garden and reading or listening to books, particularly fantasy, young adult literature, mystery, historic fiction, philosophy and anything concerning how people think and the power of the brain. I am also very interested in conservation and adopting lifestyle changes that will reverse many of the negative effects of human activity, use and abuse of the earth, flora, fauna and other natural resources.
Socrates
Socrates was born and lived in Athens, Greece between 470 and 399 BCE. He was 
a philosopher and teacher and most of his lessons and actions are known through the writings of his students such as Plato and Xenophon and the plays of Aristophanes. He is widely accepted as one of the founders of Western philosophy and a proponent of critical thinking and questioning.
He was in the habit of sitting on the steps of the city hall or in the center of town and conducting lengthy discussions with any who wished to participate. These gatherings or elenchus – a form of pedagogy in which a series of questions is posed in order to elicit individual answers as well as to draw attention to current issues and thus provoke further questioning. In fact, Socrates himself served more as a moderator than a participant, allowing for his students and other listeners to generate the discussion.
The specific beliefs and philosophies of Socrates are not well known aside from the fact that he was morally, ethically and politically at odds with many if not most of the Athenian citizenry, particularly the governing hierarchy. He was accused and prosecuted for corrupting the youth, for which he offered little convincing personal defense. History relates that he was sentenced to death for these crimes and willingly drank the poisonous hemlock rather than abandon what he viewed as his moral obligation to inform and engage the populace. Personally, he decried being a wise or influential man and maintained that he knew only that he knew nothing.
Sockrates
Oh, hello. My name is Sockrates Josephus Anisoptera1 Odonata2, but just Sockrates will do. Did you know that Socrates had a particular affinity for
discussion, particularly with young people. He often held lengthy discussions or elechus3 with one or more young men, posing philosophical questions for which there may be many or no conclusion. That must have been really interesting
I digress, as I tend to do. Back to my introduction. My natural form is that of a funny looking dragonfly (here’s a picture of me), but I can change my shape and color a little and even become invisible if the need arises. I am at least 70,000,000 years old, give or take a millennium or two, and what I do is collect information about people. I do this mainly by observation (like the proverbial firefly on the wall), through conversation (provided the participants are not entomophobic4 and are comfortable interacting (albeit virtually), with a firefly.
The Socratic Method
Socrates is possibly best recognized for his instructional dialog technique now known as the Socratic Method – form of discourse between individuals, based on the system of continuous questioning and discussion in order to promote critical thinking and elicit new ideas or ways of viewing a situation. It typically involves one participant posing a point of view upon which others present questions meant to clarify, support or oppose the original premise and often results in one or more participants contradicting themselves thereby strengthening the original argument.
Socrates Café
The concept began a little more than a decade ago when individuals began gathering in coffee shops to discuss principals, events or other philosophies. This casual model spread to locations around the world as people from different backgrounds and belief systems came together to exchange though provoking ideas. The discussions lent themselves to the Socratic Method – the idea that knowledge is gained through critical thinking and continual questioning, particularly among those with varying opinions and points of view. Today Socrates Cafes are not limited to coffee shops, cafes or any physical location. There are many groups that conduct philosophical discussions online in chat rooms, through instant messaging or open blogs.
Sockrates’ Cafe’
This blog is my twist on the Socrates Café. In collaboration with my assistant Sockrates, I can share some of my creative and philosophical musings with others and perhaps engage in virtual conversation, debate and enlightenment.
1. Dragonfly (from Greek ανισος anisos, “uneven” + πτερος pteros, “wings”, due the hindwing being broader than the forewing)
2. A suborder of insects containing dragonflies and damselflies (Fabricius coined the term Odonata from the Greek οδόντoς (οδούς), odontos (tooth) apparently because they have teeth on their mandibles, even though most insects also have toothed mandibles.)
3. elechus – a logical refutation; an argument that refutes another argument by proving the contrary of its conclusion
4. entomophobic – a specific, unexplained fear of one or more species of insect
Sockrates' Cafe' 