Personal Dream, related to Harrison post on the OS & Anti-Americanism thread

[EVERETT813 at aol.com]

 Shay wrote: "So it is possible that during the 14MYears of open space, parts
of the space have closed around certain individuals or groups. Nazi Germany
in the 30's and 40's is an example. Organised religions have many times
sought to close the space around a particular point of view. As have
politicians and Monarchs."

I think you may have it precisely right! Space in particular situations is
always opening and closing. That is true for discussion groups, an Open
Space Event, your life, and The Roman Empire. Rather like breathing out and
breathing in -- you can't do one without doing the other. And if you stop
altogether, you die. Call it the flow of life -- and in that flow, all
things have an ending, which is almost inevitably sad for somebody, but with
that ending comes the opening the space for new possibilities. Things may
seem to be different when we raise the ante to include wars and tsunamis,
but I don't think so. I think we find ourselves with a wonderful paradox:
Sooner or later everything stops, and were that not the case; it would be
very hard to go on. Shortly put, ending and beginning is fundamental to the
process in which we find our selves. At a micro/practical level -- every
time we open space for some organization or group some things will end and
others begin. Which is why I find it to be terribly important to remember
the Griefwork Process. We all go through it regardless, and we can help each
other. I guess that is part of the job description of the OS facilitator --
being with folks at the time of ending. And of course, that also provides
the marvelous opportunity for being present at the moment of renewal.
Strange work!

Harrison

Dear friends and colleagues,

I've been catching up with some of the posts on the OSL and was reading the 
above.   It reminded me of a dream I had this week after seeing my aging father 
(he's 93, very enfeebled by multiple health problems, very much wants to die 
or at least stop living like he is, teaching me a great deal at the moment 
about life.)   I'm sharing it because I think it relates to the above thought by 
Harrison about breathing in and out, of endings and beginnings, about how OS 
really is, etc.   Maybe it will speak to some of you.

Warmly, Paul Everett

Dream, 3/4/05

I awakened this morning from a dream which I can’t remember the content of 
beyond the following:

I was looking at this plaque-like object.   There was a thick, rich looking 
backboard, long and narrow but not manufactured straight.   More like a 
randomly occurring line, wavy in a way but not regular.   Reminded me of polished 
mahogany from Africa, not Philippine mahogany.

On the left hand half were some words on a lighter wood, still dark and 
somewhat polished but again not straight but randomly wavy, with a mostly smooth 
face, that had been stacked so you couldn’t see all the sayings, but could open 
them like a book hinged from its back in a horizontal position.   As I was 
looking at it, I saw words like “God’s presence may not result in……” and then 
words such as tranquility, peacefulness, safety, etc., denoting all the “good” 
things we regard as being associated with God’s presence.   The image that 
came to my mind was of a low, ranch-style brick house with immaculately tended 
lawn and flower beds.   Nothing out of place at all.   (In my conscious state I’
d say “sterile” but I think the meaning was "undisturbed" or 
"un-disturbing").

On the right hand side of the plaque was a single gray piece, like a piece of 
driftwood that had been worn by the waves into a very irregular shape, 
somewhat like a clamshell shape with the curved side down, with some ragged ends and 
a lumpy surface.   On it were the words something like “God’s presence 
results in Life!”   The image or meaning was shown as all of life, with its trials 
and tribulations, joys and sorrows, pain and suffering, etc.   God’s presence 
wasn’t necessarily ‘beneficial’ as we humans see it.   Nonetheless, He is 
there.   end of dream.

I was reminded in my somewhat conscious state of Fr. Toulouse’s saying “God 
sustains your every breath.”   In talking about this with Joelle, she quoted 
Jung as saying “God is present, invited or not.”  

*
*
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