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On April 21, 1939, a powerful and influential person
was started on the significant journey of life on earth. Often gentle,
always pushy, even occasionally abrasive, this person finally found the
real purpose of this existence in the year 1991.
A vision conveyed the mission, "Your purpose in life
is to spread interesting and helpful knowledge." The implied parallel was,
"... you must ignore personal welfare and income ... forego selfish interest,
friends, family, and luxury, if necessary, but get the job done!"
A tragedy happened in August, 1998. Before the job
was completed, this person was stricken and taken by cancer, expiring on
August 24. It happened exactly one month after we learned the bone and
lung cancers were rapidly killing her.
Wanda Turner decided while in high school to use
the name "Cheyenne." The reason is one of those secrets I cannot divulge,
but another example of the power of her direction, and guidance, and preparation
for her true mission. Unique, few forgot it. Enigmatic, people often wondered
how it came to be. Adaptive, like her choice of the term "eclectic," the
word meant different things to different people, depending on their viewpoint,
or perspective.
It was a natural and predictable evolution she chose
the name "Eclectic Viewpoint" for the organization she founded in 1992,
to provide, "A forum of interesting and diverse speakers, on subjects that
deserve exposure."
Most of us are primarily concerned with and aware
only of our need for survival and comfort. A few, like Cheyenne, have evolved,
perhaps by prior existence, perhaps by divine intervention, to be primarily
concerned about raising awareness of their own higher consciousness, and
by association, that of others.
I don't claim her higher purpose, but I share the
difficulty. It is not a comfortable existence. It is often arduous and
unthanked. Then, occasionally, something satisfying happens that is a reminder
of the value.
Such an event occurred the weekend of September 17
and 18, 1999. A large, and growing group of her supporters have succeeded
in going beyond continuance; they have begun expansion of Cheyenne's dream.
I am privileged to be the catalyst. But, these are the people who have
accomplished important achievements. Shortly after Cheyenne died, prospects
for continuing The Eclectic Viewpoint were dim. I held events planned for
September and October, then my capital was exhausted.
Over the next several months, Susan Tinkle, Fred
Davis, Dr. Jonathan Boyd, and Dr. James Denito, joined with me to start
a Dallas area company to continue the lectures. They presented Lloyd Pye
in March, Dr. Glenn Kimball in April, Michael Cremo in May, William Thomas
in June, and Jerome Clark in July.
Other valuable people joined us, and others bought
stock in Cheyenne's Dream, Inc, doing business as The Eclectic Viewpoint.
They are not named for their privacy, but their contributions of capital
and work are the reasons we have been able to expand. Supporters of the
new EV kept growing. "How can I help?" is a phrase I hear often.
A speaker who declines 80% of the invitations to
speak he receives was finally contacted through the help of a friend Cheyenne
and I shared, Joe Koster in New York. Because of the friendship, and his
respect for Cheyenne, and because he wanted to tell a Texas audience a
Texas joke, Zecharia Sitchin agreed to appear in Dallas and San Antonio.
What an event! As I began the introduction to the
large crowd, I was almost overwhelmed with emotion. Here we are, one year
after the painful beginning, presenting the speaker Cheyenne most desired
to present, and scheduled to start a new company the next day in another
city ... the beginning of fulfilling her dream.
And, that is just what happened. When Mr. Sitchin
spoke in San Antonio, we started Cheyenne's Friends of Austin/San Antonio,
LLC. We have a beginning. Others will join us and still more will attend
events, their way of support.
Besides this first step of expansion, this event
was significant because her plan was kept alive for a full year. Her slogan,
"Extraordinary Science, Unusual Phenomena, and Diverse Perspectives," has
and will continue to guide us.
San Francisco, Los Angeles and Houston are the next
cities planned for expansion. The Eclectic Viewpoint will conduct an event,
and we use that as an opportunity for me to meet with prospective owners
in that area. We are looking for up to ten people who each invest $500
and become the owners of "Cheyenne's Friends of ___, LLC."
These owners have equal vote and profit share, decide
on their speakers and conduct events almost monthly.
CDI and The Forum magazine handle business details
and national promotion. The local owners then have only the simple functions
of selecting speakers and conducting events. One who can attend most the
events has the time, little more is needed.
During the next year, we plan to open such companies
in most major cities in the country, and the magazine will become a national
directory of eclectic events.
As this is written, the radio is playing "The Arrival
of the Queen of Sheba," by Handel, music which typifies Cheyenne. I'm sure
her spirit is with us.
October 1, 1999, Jim Turner
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