Welcome Colin!

[Harrison Owen]

You wrote: I have been lurking here for several weeks and I feel like I am
on the slip road traveling at about 20 mph trying to join the motorway
moving at 70 mph.  How can I get up to speed?  I live in London, have worked
in marketing.  I am currently working in Ireland most of the time and am
moving into broader kinds of cultural and process change work for
organizations.  

I have been enjoying in wonder the mixture of chaos and mutual respect, the
openness, honesty and consideration.  It feels very much like a Community
Building Scott Peck type circle.  I am involved with Community Building in
Britain and we help people to organize Community Building circles to
experience Pseudo Community, Chaos, Emptiness and Community.  We have used
Open Space a lot in our process to introduce tasks as well as enable a wider
process.  I have facilitated a few open space events and hope to be involved
with many more. 

When I first started doing Open Space the only rule - the Law of 2 Feet -
was against the guidelines of CB.  In CB we tell ourselves we have to stay
and 'see it through'.  If one person leaves it changes the whole dynamic of
the group.  Of course we are always free to walk from anything at any time.
Here it is even more ambiguous - we don't really know who is here, or who
may be here at some point in the future.  And writing things down fixes them
in a 'closed' way - I may change my mind about what I wrote today when I
look again tomorrow.  

In joining this group I want to empty myself of the need to heal any of you.
Yet I am sure that many of us are here trying to heal by listening.  

Colin Morley

Welcome! I can certainly understand that you might feel a little bit in a
whirl - heavy traffic as they say. But take heart - it all works out in the
end - whichever end that is. Your image of trying to get on the M25 it
probably apt, but maybe not accurate. I sometimes think it is more like
trying to enter a round-about. The secret is - just stay where you are, and
it will all come around again. I am not sure that helps any, for as an
American who drives on the wrong side of the road, entering a British
roundabout is, without question, the most terrifying experience I have ever
had. Just when you think you have it figured out, there is a 20 ton lorry
coming at you - from the "wrong" side. I found my self shifting the window
roller. Go figure. But I did make it, and so will you. 

Trying to figure out the local (and that is totally planetary) cast of
characters can be daunting. (We should have some space for mug shots and
quick IDs ?) I am Harrison, currently playing in the role of Old Curmudgeon,
I have been around for a bit, and find that Open Space is the only place I
am truly happy. Maybe it is the Wild West Heritage (of which I am not really
a part - being a rather proper, east coast (USA) Philadelphian) - but my
theme song for sure is "Don't fence me in" Which brings me to the Law of Two
Feet. I understand that polite society; in addition to Scott Peck, find this
a weird Law. It is weird, but we have found that not only is this the way
things are (Law or not) - but that making it an accepted practice is an
essential precondition to deep and productive community. Bottom line - Folks
who care to stay together will, and the rest should move on. Of course they
are welcome to stay, but why stay around being miserable when you could go
somewhere else and be productive? Ah, The Mysteries of Open Space! It is not
so much about what you should do as what you are going to do anyhow. We call
that self-organization.

And you mentioned healing. Doubtless we need a lot. But don't hold your
breath. In most cases we are just being the curmudgeonly characters we have
turned out to be. Not much hope. Some folks think we should have a clear
statement of the "givens" prior to entry into this mad environment. I think
that is a nice idea, but like a lot of good ideas, not terribly useful. To
be sure, clearly stated "givens" would reduce overall anxiety and fear of
surprise. From where I sit, the only given is the wonderful surprise just
around the corner. Welcome aboard! 

Harrison




Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, Maryland   20845
Phone 301-365-2093

Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com <http://www.openspaceworld.com/>

Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU 
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit:
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html




*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu,
Visit:

http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html