CONVERSATION WITH AN INVADER

Brendan McKeague mckeague at iprimus.com.au
Thu Dec 16 17:35:18 PST 2004


Very interesting story, Brendan. But was she really
"an invader"? What did she "invaded"?

Artur

Good question Artur - thanks for it.

It has got me thinking - I can see that I've used the term from an internal
and external perspective

Internal - as she started to speak me, I had the feeling internally that
she was invading my space - I guess I had set myself down to breath deep
and relax, content that the agenda had been raised and folks were off and
into it...so here was this 'visitor' who was invading my 'billabong'
(quiet, restful place for re-freshing) with her issue - and I was disturbed
and distracted....I wonder if I would have even referred to her as an
'invader' had she had sat down and told me how great she thought the whole
process was...?
A wee bit of selective evaluation there - when indeed, as it happens with
all unplanned engagements, she was a gift to me and I didn't actually refer
to her in my mind as an 'invader' until later when I reflected on the story
myself  - perhaps 'invader' is not an appropriate term to use in this
context at all....she was a visitor in my space..a guest to be welcomed and
honoured?

External - referring to her 'invading' the process - trying, as I judged
her initially, to subvert the process by manipulating the facilitator -
projecting her fears or inhibitions or whatever onto me to get her issue
raised without her raising it...so, in this sense I used the term 'invader'
- and again - my own language around this may lead me to an inappropriate
'labelling' of such an essential ingredient for growing the space - I have
no idea who she spoke with after that conversation with me  - what she said
- what she felt or thought, or prayed - how her response to my 'listening'
may have contributed to whatever happened further down the track in session
three....

I'm content now - she was a guest and a gift - to me and the process -
regardless of what her conscious intention may have been - that'll do me!

Cheers
Brendan

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

To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist



More information about the OSList mailing list