More from the Inbox -- Personal Open Space

claudiahb at juno.com claudiahb at juno.com
Sun Apr 24 18:57:35 PDT 2005


What an inspiring story - thanks for sharing that, Harrison!  My partner, Chip Duncan, a documentary filmer is also in Afghanistan right now for a Save the Children project.  His stories echo Matthew's.  Maybe the two would like to connect?
www.duncanentertainment.com is his website.
It seems there a places on this planet where you learn how to stay in the now longer.

Claudia
-- Harrison Owen <hhowen at comcast.net> wrote:
I have a young nephew, Matthew by name, who was born with very severe
disabilities to the point that he has spent his whole young life (20+ years)
in a wheel chair. But even though confined to that limited space, Matthew's
spirit has refused to accept such constraints. Every time I find my own
space somehow jammed, crammed, and spammed - I find inspiration from
Matthew. This morning, another chapter rolled in.

Matthew and a bunch of his friends are in Afghanistan along with some 200
wheel chairs donated for the use of similarly afflicted Afghanis. The crew
has spent the past several weeks adjusting the chairs for the new users, and
offering support ranging from simple stop and go procedures to how to do
wheelies and play wheelchair basketball. Today was Matthew's last day in
Kabul. He wrote:

        "My plane leaves in five hours but I'm still not sure if I'm ready
to write my final e-mail about Afghanistan just yet.  Like just about
anything in life it's been everything and nothing like what I'd hoped for.
The biggest surprise for me has been that I haven't felt sorry for these
people.  There are certainly a lot of things that need work and I am eager
to help in anyway I can but there are also plenty of things I feel they're
doing right.  I really envy the strong family ties and warmth that's at the
heart of Afghanistan.  After talking with my friend Richard about this he
described it as the difference between compassion and pity and I couldn't
agree more.  Now I recognize the condescension towards developing peoples
that's at the root of those tear-filled, Sally Struthers ads that color the
way we tend to see the rest of the world.  I'll come back here; I just don't
know when.  Perhaps in a year I could make a serious documentary piece about
Kabul and the Mobility Project for Temple as part of a class.  So no, I
haven't a clue where I'm going next but I think that it's often better that
way."

I particularly liked his final phrase, "So no, I haven't a clue where I'm
going next but I think that it's often better that way."

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
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