Giving and receiving

[Harrison Owen]

At 03:43 PM 11/15/2002 -0900, Julie wrote:

>Harrison wrote
>
>What we have been freely given must be freely shared. Of course, that
>raises the interesting question -- do we do everything for free? Of course
>the answer is, No. At least I think the answer is, No.
>
>I think that s a great question, only I would answer: Of course the answer
>is, Yes.  At least I think the answer is, Yes.  :)
>Better, I think, would be to rephrase the question to: Do we do everything
>that calls to us unconditionally and without regard to payment?

>During that part of my life when I felt called to mediate, I eventually
>gave up the practice of requesting money in exchange for my time.  What
>was important to me then was to help people who were suffering through the
>end stages of their marriages and who were grappling with how to
>reconstruct a new life for themselves and their children.  I didn t think
>of myself as offering myself for free, but simply that I was offering
>myself.   I freely offered my humanity, which had been freely given to
>me.  I also freely accepted whatever they offered in return.  It was a
>giving and receiving for all of us.  We each freely chose what we would
>give, and we each freely accepted what was given.  I felt very comfortable
>and easy with this arrangement.  And I think the quality of the time I
>spent with people improved dramatically.  For me, the exchange of money as
>a condition for relationship interferes with authentic relationship.

good point Julie. And you will notice that i did not specify money as the
only mode of payment. Some exchange of value has always seemed to me to be
useful, even if the value exchanged was a smile, the knowledge that a
needed job was well done, or some added knowledge or experience gained. I
find this particularly important in an Open Space environment where any
gift that I might give necessitates the commitment of the receiver in order
to be fully useful. Value exchanged does not guarantee commitment, but it
seems to help. To the best of my knowledge, I have never refused service
because of lack of money, but I have always expected, and usually received,
value for what I have done. Like you, I have never starved, nor is there
apparently much danger of that.

Harrison


Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, MD 20854 USA
phone 301-365-2093
Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com
Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm

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