Fw: [OSLIST] weird stuff in circles (long but dazzling)
Peggy S. Holman
peggy at opencirclecompany.com
Wed Oct 27 20:54:10 PDT 2004
Therese's reference to PoP gave me another thought on what could take OSonOS
> deeper.
>
> It is my learning that the care the convenors take to create the space has
a
> great deal to do with the depth of the gathering. For example, our
Practice
> of Peace conference in Seattle was, by all counts, transformative for
many.
> I believe there were an extraordinary number of deep, powerful sessions
> there. And I believe the field that made that possible was created over
> months. Every session the planning had started with silence and
reflection,
> re-commiting to what had heart and meaning. When we met with all of our
> international invited guests for the first time, we began by connecting
with
> each other. And we created an amazing container for what took place.
>
> So, by this theory, if we want a deeper OSonOS, I believe mindful
convening
> can make a huge difference. And I know Judi is totally up to that!
>
> still in the air,
> Peggy
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Therese Fitzpatrick" <theresefitz at hotmail.com>
> To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
> Sent: Tuesday, October 05, 2004 11:49 AM
> Subject: Re: [OSLIST] weird stuff in circles (long but dazzling)
>
>
> > I was not in Goa but I have been at plenty of OS gatherings that had
just
> a
> > little bit too much weird stuff for my taste. Thank you, Alex, for
> voicing
> > your thoughts, for not holding them back. I have this personal theory
> that
> > the whole world would work things out quickly if people voiced their
real
> > thoughts all the time.
> >
> > As to the weird stuff, I am a loose, free-thinking gal and I like all
> kinds
> > of weird stuff myself. But I also have a tendency to cling to a bit of
> > rigidity from time to time. If someone doesn't know me well and all of
a
> > sudden they come up across my rigidity, they are often surprised and
> > sometimes even angry that the loose, flexible gal they have come (no
> doubt)
> > to love is spoiling their fun with rigidity.
> >
> > Here is what I am rigid about: I am rigid about forms. I give deep and
> > careful thought to the containers I choose to hold groups and once I
have
> > decided on the form I think is the right form, I believe it is important
> and
> > more powerful to stick to the form. Like a consultant works with a
client
> > to determine the right form for a large group event, once the client
> chooses
> > the form, well, the consultant better stick to the form. A successful
> > consultant is not going to negotiate to have a three day OS with a
client
> > and then show up and conduct a future search event. Am I right?
> >
> > Why bother with discerning forms if we are not going to stick to them?
> >
> > Forgive me my pedantry but I am working up to a point. I love the form
of
> > OS. I believe the form/container of OS as outlined by HO's work and by
> the
> > work of the many skilled OS facilitators in the world could be amended.
> > Heck, anyone can do whatever they want at any time. But for me, once I
> have
> > settled on the form I will use, I believe quite rigidly in sticking to
the
> > form as purely as possible.
> >
> > If I were hauling water up a mountain with two buckets yoked on my
> > shoulders, I would not stop every so often and change the buckets. If I
> > decided to climb up a mountain with two buckets of water yoked across my
> > shoulders, I would stick with the containers I originally chose. I
> wouldn't
> > change to a wheelbarrow half way up and then change to a keg on wheels
> three
> > quarters of the way up. I would stick with the form I chose.
> >
> > In my understanding of open space, the morning circle is to set the
energy
> > field for the day and open the marketplace. The end-of-the-day circle
is
> a
> > reflection circle, designed to give participants an opportunity to
reflect
> > on their day together. The beauty in this design is that participants
can
> > hear reflections of things that happened during the day that they had
not
> > attended. A reflection circle is a way of telling the 'whole' story of
> the
> > day and giving people at least snapshots of what they missed. A
> reflection
> > circle makes it a whole day, in my personal and idiosyncratic opinion.
> >
> > The final closing circle on the last day of the event is a bit different
> and
> > I won't go into that here. Aren't you glad I am not going to expound on
> > that next?!
> >
> > The more I contemplate/meditate on the brilliant container that is OS,
the
> > more rigid I tend to be. I have found a tendency among some OS fans to
> > think OS means anything all the time. And, if we want to get really
> > literal, we are all of us free to let anything mean anything we want all
> the
> > time. We can always choose differently. We can reshape meaning. We
can
> > alter any thoughts we want.
> >
> > But my mind and soul are not great enough to be engaged in an endless
> > redefinition of reality. I get my best work done when I give my inner
> life
> > the discipline of a little bit of form. I think the best OS events are
> when
> > a tiny bit of discipline around form is clearly head by the convenors.
> >
> > Which is my long winded way of saying I do not think weird stuff belongs
> in
> > the large circles at the beginning and the end of OS gatherings. If
> someone
> > wants to offer weird stuff, then do it in the marketplace, I say.
> >
> > Weird stuff does not belong in the big circles, in my personal and
> > idiosyncratic cosmology, because the law of two feet/self love does not
> > really apply to the morning and evening circles. Everyone is at these
> > circles. I cannot participate in the close of the day AND exercise the
> law
> > of two feet if something weird pops up.
> >
> > I conclude (yes, this will come to an end) by remembering the wonderful
> > laughing work you gifted us with at the Seattle POP Alex (I think you
are
> > the same guy!). In the evening, after the closing circle and after
> dinner,
> > you offered anyone who wanted to show up to participate in a fantastic
> > laughing exercise. It was fantastic and I really loved it. If you had
> > stood up in the closing circle and started leading the entire circle in
> your
> > laughing experiment, I would have resented it because it was being
forced
> on
> > me. I loved the laughing work. . . . but I really resent having things
> > foisted on me in the closing circle where the law of two feet does not,
in
> > my personal opinion, quite apply. I want to be at the closing circles
and
> I
> > want to be free to choose.
> >
> > So. Thanks, by the way, Alex, for your fantastic laughing work. Thanks
> for
> > inviting people to participate. And thanks for not imposing it on one
of
> > the large group circles. That's the way I think it is supposed to work.
> >
> >
> > >From: Mirza Yawar Baig <leadtrain at yahoo.com>
> > >Reply-To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
> > >To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> > >Subject: Re: My reflections on the Goa OSonOS (longish)
> > >Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2004 15:33:28 +0530
> > >
> > >Hey Alex,
> > >
> > >good to read what you wrote. I share many of the things you
> > said....including the things about the wierd
> stuff..........hahaha........be
> > well my friend.
> > >
> > >Yawar
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: Alexander Kjerulf
> > > To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> > > Sent: Monday, October 04, 2004 3:04 PM
> > > Subject: My reflections on the Goa OSonOS (longish)
> > >
> > >
> > > Hi
> > >
> > > I just got back from India, and here are my reflections on this
> years
> > > OSonOS.
> > >
> > > First of all there were lots of things I enjoyed about the
OSonOS:
> > >
> > > * I met some wonderful people, some for the first time; some
> > again
> > > * The place was absolutely wonderful - See for yourself, I
> posted
> > > some pictures here: http://www.positivesharing.com/Goa
> > > * I had many great and inspiring conversations outside of the
> > sessions
> > > * And best of all, we (the Happy at Work Project) may now
have
> a
> > > shot at creating the Happy at Work Project, India
> > >
> > > BUT :-)
> > >
> > > Those of you who were there know that I was frustrated with the
> > > conference itself. This was also true at last years event in
> Denmark
> > > (the first OSonOS I attended) but at that time I chose not to
> express
> > it.
> > >
> > > During the evening news on the second day, I presented my
> > observations
> > > on what frustrated me. I realize of course that these are only my
> > > experiences. Other people may have (and indeed did have) totally
> > > different experiences. Anyway, here's what frustrated me at the
> > OSonOS:
> > > *Not much listening.* People seemed more eager to speak than to
> > listen.
> > > *Not much depth.* Few conversations achieved any real depth,
since
> > many
> > > comments didn't seem to build on what was said earlier in the
> > conversation.
> > > *Too large groups.* Many (most?) groups had 10 - 20 people in
them,
> > > which of course makes deep conversation and listening more
> difficult.
> > > For my taste, I prefer groups with at most 8 people.
> > > *Too much weird stuff.* Every day of the OSonOS opened with
> singing,
> > > chanting, laughter exercises and other "weird stuff"
:-)
> .
> > I have
> > > nothing against that in itself (and indeed use some of it once in
a
> > > while), but it didn't really add to my experience.
> > > *Experienced OS'ers don't seem open to input*. The experienced OS
> > people
> > > in the crowd were wonderfully willing to share their experiences,
> but
> > > seemed less willing to listen to new ideas.
> > > *Evening circle takes too long*. The evening circle went on for a
> > long
> > > time - too long in my opinion.
> > >
> > > I say this without any intention of blame or indictment. Please
> also
> > > remember that this kind of thing always looks worse in worse in
> > writing.
> > > And as I said at the conference, I only say this, because I think
> the
> > OS
> > > community can deal with it, and should be given a chance to do
so -
> > > rather than just me dealing with it on my own by not coming to
any
>
> > more
> > > OSonOS'es.
> > >
> > > The paradox here is, that all the conversations I had outside of
> the
> > > sessions really made my coming there worthwhile, so my time there
> was
> > > certainly not wasted. It's just that I KNOW that OS conversations
> can
> > be
> > > so much more than what I saw at both this and last years
OSonOS'es.
> > >
> > > Now, I'm not going to throw something like this out there,
without
> > also
> > > thinking about what we can do about it, and so we did a session
on
> > that
> > > on the third day. We saw some ideas brewing as to what we could
do
> to
> > > improve the OSonOS, while at the same time maintaining (and maybe
> > even
> > > strengthening) all the good things the OSonOS does for the OS
> > community
> > > already. This is not about revolution, it's about taking an
> > appreciative
> > > approach to what already works in the OSonOS, and how we can
build
> on
> > that.
> > >
> > > But before we start that, there should be some sort of buy-in
from
> > the
> > > OS community. If the prevailing mood is, that "the OSonOS is
> > fine, don't
> > > mess with it", then we'll leave it at the. If the mood is
> > "The OSonOS is
> > > fine, let's make it even more fine", then we might start
with
> an
> > > appreciative inquiry right here on the list - I'd be happy to get
> it
> > going.
> > >
> > > What do you think?
> > >
> > > Cheers
> > >
> > > Alex
> > >
> > > --
> > > Alexander Kjerulf
> > > alexander at kjerulf.com
> > > http://www.positivesharing.com
> > >
> > > +45 2688 2373
> > > Tagensvej 126, lejl. 613
> > > 2200 København N
> > >
> > > *
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