powerful poem! help me understand it.
Harrison Owen
hhowen at comcast.net
Sat Aug 13 05:18:32 PDT 2005
Funda -- I am not sure that Opening Space is such a minimal contribution to the lives of those who struggle in whatever way. In fact it may just be the only truly useful one. Physical and social resources are, of course, essential -- but the capacity to effectively use those resourses is of equal importantance. When struggle reaches its ultimate stages, it seems that space just closes down and even the simplest act appears to be beyond the realm of possibility. In such moments, available resourse, meager though they may be, are often overlooked and bypassed. Opening space for such people in such times may provide just the strength and spark they need to enhance their lives and livelyhood.
ho
Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Dr.
Potomac, MD 20854
USA
301-365-2093
207-763-3261 (summer)
website www.openspaceworld.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Funda Oral
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Sent: Saturday, August 13, 2005 6:40 AM
Subject: Re: powerful poem! help me understand it.
Dear John and everybody,
I live in a city where one can see extreme cases ( richness and poorness,
joy and powerty so on...)
in a short distance from each other.
One sees so big problems, and so strong struggle for life
that sometime the word "open space" looks funny, silly and luxury.
I still believe that "opening space", inviting people to
exist, to talk, to express their needs and struggle is
"something", a very small step maybe, but still helpful.
But it's not enough, the ultimate aim is to understand their straggle
and help them to get what they need...we don't need to be poor with the
poor;
sick with the sick ( as Judi beautifully mentions)...the least we can do
is to open space to respect them.... but this is only the minimum.
And i am very worried and sad to see that in many cases all i could
do would be to open space. I am not strong or rich enough to end
struggle.
I guess we need more trembling hearts, more resources and better
cooperation for that.
Funda
----- Original Message -----
From: "john engle" <englejohn at hotmail.com>
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2005 10:17 PM
Subject: powerful poem! help me understand it.
> hi brendan, kairi and others.
>
> i've never opened space in a prison but i have participated in a
> touchstones discussion (http://touchstones.org) with about 25 men serving
> life sentences. the discussion centered around "power" and not
> surprisingly, i learned a great deal.
>
> great that you are doing this! i look forward to following developments as
> you work toward opening space in prisons.
>
> on another subject, kairi, thank you for sharing that poem in your
> message. i love it! and, i loved being at OSonOS! Judi, you and your team
> did a great job at receiving us and making us feel at home.
>
> while i love the spirit of the poem, i just don't know what to do with
> "banish the word struggle from your vocabulary." how do others see this?
>
> removing the word struggle from MY vocabulary seems like it could have
> some positive outcomes. at the same time, it's hard for me to think of a
> better word that describes daily life for so many people. and, not
> acknowledging this seems like i might be missing something as i work with
> folks in circumstances so much different from my own.
>
> i'm in haiti as i write and catching up with friends and colleagues. there
> are at least hundreds of thousands of people here--some estimate in the
> millions--that don't consume a meal each day. and when they do, they don't
> know when they'll eat next. i can't begin to imagine what living with so
> much uncertainty and discomfort must be like. and i've also learned that
> far too often we who live in financially prosperous countries romance
> poverty, saying that poor people are happier.
>
> it serves us (people who live in financially prosperous countries) well to
> see things this way and it pains me when i have US American visitors with
> me in Haiti and conclude after a week here that the people are "so happy."
> in many cultures, those in the southern countries included, it is
> appropriate to put one's best face forward especially when meeting
> visitors. those same Haitians who looked so happy to the visitor might be
> totally stressed out because they're worrying about how they're going to
> pay school fees for their kids and get a meal together, etc. when they
> speak in their own language to me, "struggle" projects from their facial
> expressions, body movement and words.
>
> i would not feel comfortable asking folks who live such realities to
> remove "struggle" from their vocabulary.
>
> thanks for your patience as i vent and live emotions connected to being
> with friends in extremely difficult situations.
>
> john
>
>
> http://JohnEngle.net
> email: john at johnengle.net
> P.O. Box 337
> Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033
> tel. 202-236-6532
>
>
>
>
>>From: Brendan McKeague <mckeague at iprimus.com.au>
>>Reply-To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
>>To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>>Subject: Re: There is a river flowing now very fast
>>Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2005 08:26:54 +0800
>>
>>
>>"Banish the word 'struggle' from your attitude and your vocabulary.
>>All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.
>>aahhh....thank you so much Kairi
>>
>>What a moment to receive this gift - the start of a brand new
>>day...beautiful and inspiring...today I will let go a wee bit more...
>>I am about to depart for a day's 'space-making' in a maximum security
>>prison with long-term offenders..
>>I will be present and holding space with individual men - my dream is that
>>one day there may be more collective open space within such confinement...
>>.
>>Anyone ever opened space in a prison?
>>
>>peace to all
>>Brendan
>>
>>*
>>*
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>
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