open space and synchronicity
Diane Brandon
diane.brandon at comcast.net
Mon May 29 09:20:49 PDT 2006
Ruminating a bit about time.... I enjoy time, as in timing in a
dance, having lots of time, plenty of time, and planes/trains/buses
being on time. Time is over-important in our culture, but a useful
tool. (Like money. My favorite thing about not having much money,
which is our current state, is that I stay home more, and have more
*time to spend with friends. Less *time going places to buy things is
a blessing.) money, time, spend, hmmmm... I was a math major for a
few years, and I like numbers, time and money and measures, all
numbers....
I do like the emphasis on "syn" = with. Being with, being connected,
we are all one. (Have you all enjoyed the dancing wombat? Maybe I've
mentioned it here before? If senility gets me (moreso than now!),
maybe I'll just watch it over and over again: http://
www.globalcommunity.org/flash/wombat.shtml )
I agree that being with, living with, time with, are all natural,
and the "woowoo" and being surprised means that we are mostly out of
"sync" - not knowing we are all part of one, with an energy flow that
is there to rest upon (someone is watching over me). So we re-member,
and notice that we are in-sync, in flow. (Harrison, if everyone knew
how simple and natural open space is, you probably wouldn't have sold
any books about it!)
Back to time and schedules. I heard a talk last year by John
McKnight, about Asset Based Community Development, and the thing that
was most useful to me, since I'd read a few of his books and had been
to ABCD training, was his comment about respecting the need for some
organizations to run like machines, like clockwork. The example was
public transportation. He didn't want the airline pilots or
mechanics, or bus drivers, to meet in open space each morning and
create a new plan for the day.... at least not on their work days!
MBTI, J-P, P's love open space?
Diane
On May 28, 2006, at 10:26 PM, Harrison Owen wrote:
> I have to make a confession. The word “synchronicity” has always
> bugged me. Comes from the Greek “syn” “chronos” (literally – with
> time, or same time). It is time and the clocks that get me. As if
> clocks/time makes that much difference. And in contemporary usage,
> synchronicity gets an over plus of being something weird, magical,
> or psychic. Now -- who am I to question things “magical, weird, and
> psychic?” I have had some people suggest that all three of those
> things could be my middle name. But still they make me very
> uncomfortable.
>
>
> The reason is that most of the things that people talk about under
> the heading of synchronicity (and then go WOOWOO!) seem to me to be
> very natural, rather what you would expect – especially if you are
> in the real flow of things, and acutely aware of that flow. So when
> Chris talks about Seagulls sitting on the window sill, laughing at
> the Closing Circle, my reaction is – What would you expect, Chris?
> And Tree, the fact that you felt irresistibly called to let dinner
> in the door sounds pretty reasonable to me. And Phelim, if you
> really insist in seeing Butterflies and Bumble Bees spread across
> the Press, that’s OK – but I wouldn’t say it too loudly. J
>
>
> There is another word which for me is much more comfortable – and
> takes me to the same, or better, places than Synchronicity. It is
> “Symbiosis,” “Symbiotic” – or I suppose “Symbiosity”. Still Greek,
> but with a twist. “Sym” (with)
>
> “Bios” (life) – with life – or better yet, “Living Together.” The
> thought is that when life flows together, all the pieces fit – even
> the ones that seem a little strange. For me, this is an everyday
> story, especially when our awareness is turned up to HIGH (as in
> OS). And the story suffers when we try to re-write it according to
> our notion of what we think SHOULD be happening. It gets even worse
> when we try to operationalize our understanding of what SHOULD be
> happening in order to bring it under control and make sure that it
> happens the way we expect it to. That’s when we really get in trouble!
>
>
> So Chris – Of course Gulls will laugh at the Closing Circle. First
> of all they are Gulls. Secondly, theClosing Circle can get pretty
> funny. And Tree – What is so strange about letting Dinner in the
> door? And when it comes to the “struggling author” – how could he
> NOT find support and assistance in The Evolutionary Salon? I
> suspect that the only way he could avoid all such help would be if
> it were not truly The Evolutionary Salon – or that he had his
> blinders on and could only accept help in some pre-defined package.
>
>
> So what else is new? Just another day in the Open Space of life
> here on Planet Earth, just flowing together- Symbiotically.
>
>
> Harrison
>
>
> Harrison Owen
>
> 7808 River Falls Drive
>
> Potomac, Maryland 20854
>
> Phone 301-365-2093
>
> Skype hhowen
>
> Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com
>
> Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
>
> Personal website www.ho-image.com
>
> OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the
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>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of
> Chris Corrigan
> Sent: Sunday, May 28, 2006 5:42 PM
> To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> Subject: Re: open space and synchronicity
>
>
> Well...yes to all...and on the subject of synchronicity, the thing
> that often seems to happen for me is that birds turn up.
>
> Eagles in the middle of the city, sparrows finding their way into
> locked meeting rooms. Gulls sitting on the window sill and
> laughing at every comment in a closing circle.
>
> I don't talk about them much, but I come to rely on my avian
> familiars in my work....
>
> :-)
>
> Chris
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