Good Old Ralph!

[Harrison Owen]

I suppose I could blame all this on good old Ralph, who is without question
one of my oldest and dearest friends. Or maybe it is the springtime - at
least here in the Northern Hemisphere. Sap rising -- and all that sort of
thing. 
Then again, it may just be the re-appearance of one of my favorite roles -
The Old Curmudgeon. But it really isn't about blame (on Ralph's head or
anybody's head) - and Springtime Spirits are always to be celebrated, even
when they are dancing a rather different jig. Which leaves the Old
Curmudgeon, but you must be the judge.

I guess I just want us all to take a deep breath and pause for a thought. We
might just remember that "we" here on OSLIST constitute some 400+ folks from
all over the world -- having different cultures, different sensitivities,
different first languages, different feelings about what is on the edge, and
what may be "over" the edge. We are also a very public discussion - Global,
to put it straightly. And for some folks - this is their first introduction
to Open Space, and hopefully not be their last.

Now it is quite true that OSLIST is all about Open Space. It is even more
true that we must walk our talk, and BE an Open Space. But the electronic
medium that we are using (a listserve - one of the oldest and clunkiest) has
certain limitations. IT CAN BE VERY HARD TO USE THE LAW OF TWO FEET. Yes, we
all do have the DELETE button. But it is also true that every item on this
LIST comes up in linear fashion. You have to click on it to see what is
happening. To be sure you can then consign the item to the great
cyber-beyond. Unless, of course, you are sufficiently upset that you consign
the whole OSLIST to the great cyber-beyond. At which point we - that is all
the rest of us - lose something very precious - YOU! 

So, I rather think of this great electronic confabulation as an on-going
Talking Stick Ceremony. You all know the rules. If you have the Stick, you
talk. If you don't (have the stick), you listen. And in either case you talk
or listen with respect. Respect for yourself - and so you must speak your
truth. And respect for your listeners, so that you speak your truth in a way
that may be heard.

God forbid that we turn this OSLIST into a boring sea of mush and political
correctness. And when it comes to edges, and walking on edges, I have done
no small amount of that myself - and have no intention of reforming.
However, I also think we share a Trust - to continue our tradition of
speaking our truth with respect.

The Old Curmudgeon

 

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
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