Everything is moving

Harrison Owen hhowen at verizon.net
Mon Aug 23 07:10:24 PDT 2010


Glad to have that report Ralph. As we all should know, When it stops moving
we have reached the end of the line (to switch metaphors from boats to
trains).

ho

Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Dr.
Potomac, MD 20854
USA
Phone 301-365-2093
www.openspaceworld.com
www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of
oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html

-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Ralph
Copleman
Sent: Monday, August 23, 2010 9:46 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Everything is moving

And the next day...

Everything is STILL moving.

Ralph


On Aug 23, 2010, at 2:00 AM, OSLIST automatic digest system wrote:

> There are 2 messages totalling 1418 lines in this issue.
> 
> Topics of the day:
> 
>  1. Everything is Moving: An Invitation to Join the flow (longish) (2)
> 
> *
> *
> ==========================================================
> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> ------------------------------
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
> view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
> 
> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
> http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Date:    Sun, 22 Aug 2010 17:49:47 -0400
> From:    Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net>
> Subject: Everything is Moving: An Invitation to Join the flow (longish)
> 
> This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
> 
> ------=_NextPart_000_0001_01CB4222.699A9210
> Content-Type: text/plain;
> 	charset="us-ascii"
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
> 
> Our friend Suzanne Daigle sent me a note saying that it seemed I had been
> very quiet on OSLIST. It is true that I appreciate silence, but the real
> truth is, I was just thinking. Dangerous I know, but what follows is the
> result - and you can blame it all on Suzanne (Joke!). So what do you
think?
> 
> 
> 
> **************************************************************
> 
> 
> 
> A long time ago a good friend, Ralph Copleman, was to be found in the
middle
> of a large circle of peers dressed in a flowing cape and repeating the
> words, "Everything is moving, Everything is moving." Odd to say the least
> and some doubted Ralph's sanity. Some still do, but that image has stuck
in
> my febrile brain ever since - and as time has passed it occurs to me that
> Ralph had it precisely right: This is an energetic cosmos. The problem
> arises when we (and that includes all of us some of the time) desperately
> want everything to  stop and stand still. So desperately in fact that we
> have created a mental image of our environment exclusively populated by
> static things which include everything from mountains to super nova along
> with the oddments of our life like professions, chairs, relationships,
> organizational structures, corporations, countries and empires.
> Unfortunately this mental image is a radical illusion, one might say
> delusion. Ralph is right. Everything is moving and what we perceive as
> stable structures are but the momentary, slice in time, freeze-frame
> constructs of our imagination.
> 
> 
> 
> Heresy? Psychobabble?  Advanced esoteric insight? - None of the above, I
> think. As a matter of fact, Ralph's observation is nothing but a short
> (poetic?) version of the (now) standard scientific understanding of the
> nature of the cosmos. Starting with the Big Bang it is all flowing energy,
> albeit now clumped in momentary configurations - but still flowing energy
> for all of that. Scratch any rock hard enough and its essential nature
comes
> through - a whirring bunch of quarks and neutrons doing the cosmic dance.
> Doubtless my physicist friends would take issue with my phrasing - but
not,
> I think, with the core message. Everything is moving. 
> 
> 
> 
> So what does all this have to do with the price of eggs? Or for that
matter
> - Open Space and our role as facilitators and consultants? A lot, I
believe.
> 
> 
> 
> Starting with Open Space which is many things to different people. For
some
> it is a Large Group Intervention. Others might see it as an aberrant
> phenomenon peculiar to a cultish few. For myself Open Space is a trial
ride
> in the flow of life which has a lot of similarities to my boat. 
> 
> 
> 
> My boat is smallish in size (32 feet) but definitely larger than the
average
> punt. She is very seaworthy and shares a common heritage with the local
> Lobster Boats here in Maine. We have many visitors, most of whom have
never
> been on a boat such as the Ethelyn Rose. When you walk on board, things
look
> sort of familiar. Chairs for sitting, a comfortable nook for dining, and
> even an oriental rug on the floor - excuse me, sole. If you look further
> there are the standard amenities such as a shower and commode, all
> sequestered in their separate quarters. Even a complete landlubber will
feel
> more or less at home.
> 
> 
> 
> But the moment we leave the dock the world changes - apparent stability
> yields to constant motion. Everything is moving even if it seems to be
> staying in the same place! In the harbor motion is minimal, but the moment
> we clear the breakwater marking the harbor entrance the experience can be
> radically different. Sea swells from the open Atlantic Ocean take us up
and
> down in distances measured in yards, and should we have a good cross wind
> the surface chop adds an interesting side to side motion. The Ethelyn Rose
> is right at home, but some of our visitors have a different impression.
And
> navigating in these conditions is a definite learning experience. Even a
> simple walk through the main cabin can be a challenge. Hand holds that you
> had carefully plotted at the start of your journey suddenly changed
position
> relative to you as you made your way. What was up is now down and who
knows
> what is happening in between. Interesting, and as they say, It ain't
Kansas.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Most people meet the challenge and after a few educational bumps to
various
> parts of their anatomy they learn not to fight reality. No matter what you
> may have thought you were going to do, the only useful option is to go
with
> the flow. And the next level of learning is that when you do that well
> (flow) you can actually arrive where you need to be. Wonderful! Sounds a
lot
> like Open Space.
> 
> 
> 
> We start in the static stability of a circle. This may seem strange to
some,
> but there is a place for everybody and everybody finds a place. A familiar
> and enduring structure for sure. Then it happens. The circle crumbles in
> bits and pieces as people come to center, announcing their passions - only
> to be briefly restored as they return to their seats. However the
> restoration is but momentary. Shortly everybody leaves their seats to join
a
> chaotic gaggle at the wall. So much for static structure, and it goes
> downhill from there. 
> 
> 
> 
> Ebbing and flowing, groups form and reform all without benefit of the
> standard constraints essential for orderly organizational life-or so we
> might have thought. Pre-arranged agenda (sometimes called Mission, Goals,
> Objectives) is nonexistent. The Schedule might be posted but never
followed
> - things start when they start. Assigned participation is nowhere to be
> found, and yet the right people show up. And to make things even worse,
the
> air is filled with buzzing and flutters as Bees and Butterflies do their
> thing. Madness! To be sure there may be a few people who are utterly
> flummoxed as the hand holds they may have expected (see above under
"Ethelyn
> Rose at Sea") disappear . . . or reappear in unexpected places. Their
> condition is not helped, for should they ask what to do the answer is
likely
> to come back as a question - What would they care to do?
> 
> 
> 
> A trifling few will lose heart and head for the shore - perceived
stability.
> But the vast majority, as we have seen over the years and around the
globe,
> will be totally captivated by the moment, and a smaller group will
> experience that moment as total exhilaration. They are doing what their
> prior life experience taught them could not be done - seriously and
> intentionally going with the flow. And rather than being rank hedonism,
the
> experience proves to be massively productive and fulfilling. Doing well
and
> good - and feeling great. A hard to beat combination.
> 
> 
> 
> And then we come to Monday Morning. Back to reality, as they say. But is
it?
> The truth, I believe is rather different. They have experienced reality
and
> come to the edge of shedding illusion/delusion. In the words of friend
> Ralph, "Everything is moving" - and this is now a fact of life to be
savored
> and enjoyed. No longer a terrifying unknown, it is to be affirmed and
> embraced. Not without a few "white knuckle" moments to be sure - but
> infinitely better than hanging onto the (illusory) rock of stability. 
> 
> 
> 
> So what about us - those privileged folks who have accepted the honor of
> opening space in people's lives? Short answer: Invite our guests over the
> edge. Please note I did not say, Push them over the edge.
> 
> 
> 
> Crafting this invitation is always a matter of personal style and must
come
> from the heart. The invitation I have in mind never  appears on a piece of
> paper (or the electronic equivalent). It arrives in our personhood - who
we
> are and how we present ourselves, which is to say, from the heart. Not to
be
> confused with a gushy valentine or formulaic presentation, the invitation
> manifests in our simple presence, revealing our own acceptance and joy in
> the moving flow of life. Without words we express the swimmer's call: Come
> on in, the water is fine! Of course you have to be in the water for that
> call to have any credibility.
> 
> 
> 
> It is perhaps easier to say how NOT to create this invitation. First off,
it
> is not a matter of rational argument and presentation of facts. Most
people
> already know the facts at some level, and I think the case could be made
> that it was "rational argument" that has gotten us into the bind we
> experience. Given the "fact" of a moving, changing world which can be very
> uncomfortable, it is quite "rational" to define that world in terms of
> controllable static chunks that may be contained, or better, bent to our
> specifications.  This has led us to such wonderful things as "Flood
Control"
> which works until such time as Mother Nature and Old Man River decide to
> take a different course. It turns out that The River is not a static,
> definable thing but part of a vast ever changing system. Effective Flood
> Control would require close management of the Planet's atmosphere to say
> nothing of the cosmos beyond. Good luck!
> 
> 
> 
> Also under the heading of "NOT to be included" are well intentioned
efforts
> to sugar coat the pill, as it were. Which is to say that we might propose
> certain limitations that will restrict the  possibility of change in Open
> Space. Some of us have called these "givens" but so far as I can tell the
> only given is change itself. And to suggest otherwise is not so much to
> violate the "Spirit of Open Space" but rather the essence of the cosmos
> itself. Ralph had it right: Everything is moving. In this context, Open
> Space Technology is a minimal consideration.
> 
> 
> 
> I am by no means suggesting that our invitation look like the back panel
of
> some medication listing every possible adverce reaction, if in fact
> unexpected change is such an adverce reaction. And truth to tell I find
the
> appearance of unexpected change in the midst of an Open Space to be one of
> its (OS's) most delightful consequences. I also think that it is important
> to note the OS is not the engine of change. It simply provides the space
for
> change to show up and the cosmos (or whatever) takes care of all the heavy
> lifting.
> 
> 
> 
> For me an invitation to Open Space is an opportunity to include friends
and
> strangers in the deepest experience of (my) life. It has little to do with
> selling a product, doing a process, excersizing some sort of professional
> competence - although there are doubtless elements of all of that.
> Fundamentally it is my invitation to experience life at its fullest in
which
> chanagability is not the enemy to be suppressed but rather the rich
tapestry
> of an evolving future. I don't make it, I can't predict it - but I can
> participate both as a sojourner and a co-creator. Stuart Kauffman speaks
of
> being "At Home in the Universe." That is my elemental experience, and I am
> always looking for playmates.
> 
> 
> 
> Harrison Owen
> 
> 7808 River Falls Dr.
> 
> Potomac, MD 20854
> 
> USA
> 
> Phone 301-365-2093
> 
> www.openspaceworld.com
> 
> www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)
> 
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of
> <mailto:oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu> oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
> 
> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *
> *
> ==========================================================
> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> -----------------------------
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
> view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
> 
> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
> http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
> 
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> <div class=3DWordSection1>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal>Our friend Suzanne Daigle sent me a note saying =
> that it
> seemed I had been very quiet on OSLIST. It is true that I appreciate =
> silence,
> but the real truth is, I was just thinking. Dangerous I know, but what =
> follows
> is the result – and you can blame it all on Suzanne (Joke!). So =
> what do
> you think?<o:p></o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
> 
> <p =
> class=3DMsoNormal>*******************************************************=
> *******<o:p></o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal>A long time ago a good friend, Ralph Copleman, was =
> to be
> found in the middle of a large circle of peers dressed in a flowing cape =
> and
> repeating the words, “Everything is moving, Everything is =
> moving.”
> Odd to say the least and some doubted Ralph’s sanity. Some still =
> do, but
> that image has stuck in my febrile brain ever since – and as time =
> has
> passed it occurs to me that Ralph had it precisely right: This is an =
> energetic
> cosmos. The problem arises when we (and that includes all of us some of =
> the
> time) desperately want everything to  stop and stand still. So =
> desperately
> in fact that we have created a mental image of our environment =
> exclusively
> populated by static things which include everything from mountains to =
> super
> nova along with the oddments of our life like professions, chairs,
> relationships, organizational structures, corporations, countries and =
> empires.
> Unfortunately this mental image is a radical illusion, one might say =
> delusion.
> Ralph is right. Everything is moving and what we perceive as stable =
> structures
> are but the momentary, slice in time, freeze-frame constructs of our
> imagination.<o:p></o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal>Heresy? Psychobabble?  Advanced esoteric =
> insight?
> – None of the above, I think. As a matter of fact, Ralph’s
> observation is nothing but a short (poetic?) version of the (now) =
> standard
> scientific understanding of the nature of the cosmos. Starting with the =
> Big
> Bang it is all flowing energy, albeit now clumped in momentary =
> configurations
> – but still flowing energy for all of that. Scratch any rock hard =
> enough
> and its essential nature comes through – a whirring bunch of =
> quarks and
> neutrons doing the cosmic dance. Doubtless my physicist friends would =
> take
> issue with my phrasing – but not, I think, with the core message.
> Everything is moving. <o:p></o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal>So what does all this have to do with the price of =
> eggs? Or
> for that matter – Open Space and our role as facilitators and
> consultants? A lot, I believe.<o:p></o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal>Starting with Open Space which is many things to =
> different
> people. For some it is a Large Group Intervention. Others might see it =
> as an
> aberrant phenomenon peculiar to a cultish few. For myself Open Space is =
> a trial
> ride in the flow of life which has a lot of similarities to my boat. =
> <o:p></o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal>My boat is smallish in size (32 feet) but =
> definitely larger
> than the average punt. She is very seaworthy and shares a common =
> heritage with
> the local Lobster Boats here in Maine. We have many visitors, most of =
> whom have
> never been on a boat such as the Ethelyn Rose. When you walk on board, =
> things
> look sort of familiar. Chairs for sitting, a comfortable nook for =
> dining, and
> even an oriental rug on the floor – excuse me, sole. If you look =
> further
> there are the standard amenities such as a shower and commode, all =
> sequestered
> in their separate quarters. Even a complete landlubber will feel more or =
> less
> at home.<o:p></o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal>But the moment we leave the dock the world changes =
>> apparent stability yields to constant motion. Everything is moving even =
> if it
> seems to be staying in the same place! In the harbor motion is minimal, =
> but the
> moment  we clear the breakwater marking the harbor entrance the =
> experience
> can be radically different. Sea swells from the open Atlantic Ocean take =
> us up
> and down in distances measured in yards, and should we have a good cross =
> wind
> the surface chop adds an interesting side to side motion. The Ethelyn =
> Rose is
> right at home, but some of our visitors have a different impression. And
> navigating in these conditions is a definite learning experience. Even a =
> simple
> walk through the main cabin can be a challenge. Hand holds that you had =
> carefully
> plotted at the start of your journey suddenly changed position relative =
> to you
> as you made your way. What was up is now down and who knows what is =
> happening
> in between. Interesting, and as they say, It ain’t Kansas. =
> <o:p></o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal>Most people meet the challenge and after a few =
> educational
> bumps to  various parts of their anatomy they learn not to fight =
> reality.
> No matter what you may have thought you were going to do, the only =
> useful
> option is to go with the flow. And the next level of learning is that =
> when you
> do that well (flow) you can actually arrive where you need to be. =
> Wonderful!
> Sounds a lot like Open Space.<o:p></o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal>We start in the static stability of a circle. This =
> may seem
> strange to some, but there is a place for everybody and everybody finds =
> a
> place. A familiar and enduring structure for sure. Then it happens. The =
> circle
> crumbles in bits and pieces as people come to center, announcing their =
> passions
> – only to be briefly restored as they return to their seats. =
> However the
> restoration is but momentary. Shortly everybody leaves their seats to =
> join a
> chaotic gaggle at the wall. So much for static structure, and it goes =
> downhill
> from there. <o:p></o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal>Ebbing and flowing, groups form and reform all =
> without
> benefit of the standard constraints essential for orderly organizational =
> life—or
> so we might have thought. Pre-arranged agenda (sometimes called Mission, =
> Goals,
> Objectives) is nonexistent. The Schedule might be posted but never =
> followed
> – things start when they start. Assigned participation is nowhere =
> to be
> found, and yet the right people show up. And to make things even worse, =
> the air
> is filled with buzzing and flutters as Bees and Butterflies do their =
> thing.
> Madness! To be sure there may be a few people who are utterly flummoxed =
> as the
> hand holds they may have expected (see above under “Ethelyn Rose =
> at
> Sea”) disappear . . . or reappear in unexpected places. Their =
> condition
> is not helped, for should they ask what to do the answer is likely to =
> come back
> as a question – What would they care to do?<o:p></o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal>A trifling few will lose heart and head for the =
> shore
> – perceived stability. But the vast majority, as we have seen over =
> the
> years and around the globe, will be totally captivated by the moment, =
> and a
> smaller group will experience that moment as total exhilaration. They =
> are doing
> what their prior life experience taught them could not be done –
> seriously and intentionally going with the flow. And rather than being =
> rank
> hedonism, the experience proves to be massively productive and =
> fulfilling.
> Doing well and good – and feeling great. A hard to beat =
> combination.<o:p></o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal>And then we come to Monday Morning. Back to =
> reality, as they
> say. But is it? The truth, I believe is rather different. They have =
> experienced
> reality and come to the edge of shedding illusion/delusion. In the words =
> of
> friend Ralph, “Everything is moving” – and this is now =
> a fact
> of life to be savored and enjoyed. No longer a terrifying unknown, it is =
> to be
> affirmed and embraced. Not without a few “white knuckle” =
> moments to
> be sure – but infinitely better than hanging onto the (illusory) =
> rock of
> stability. <o:p></o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal>So what about us – those privileged folks who =
> have
> accepted the honor of opening space in people’s lives? Short =
> answer:
> Invite our guests over the edge. Please note I did not say, Push them =
> over the
> edge.<o:p></o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal>Crafting this invitation is always a matter of =
> personal
> style and must come from the heart. The invitation I have in mind =
> never 
> appears on a piece of paper (or the electronic equivalent). It arrives =
> in our
> personhood – who we are and how we present ourselves, which is to =
> say,
> from the heart. Not to be confused with a gushy valentine or formulaic
> presentation, the invitation manifests in our simple presence, revealing =
> our
> own acceptance and joy in the moving flow of life. Without words we =
> express the
> swimmer’s call: Come on in, the water is fine! Of course you have =
> to be
> in the water for that call to have any credibility.<o:p></o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal>It is perhaps easier to say how NOT to create this
> invitation. First off, it is not a matter of rational argument and =
> presentation
> of facts. Most people already know the facts at some level, and I think =
> the
> case could be made that it was “rational argument” that has =
> gotten
> us into the bind we experience. Given the “fact” of a =
> moving,
> changing world which can be very uncomfortable, it is quite
> “rational” to define that world in terms of controllable =
> static
> chunks that may be contained, or better, bent to our =
> specifications.  This
> has led us to such wonderful things as “Flood Control” which =
> works
> until such time as Mother Nature and Old Man River decide to take a =
> different
> course. It turns out that The River is not a static, definable thing but =
> part
> of a vast ever changing system. Effective Flood Control would require =
> close
> management of the Planet’s atmosphere to say nothing of the cosmos
> beyond. Good luck!<span =
> style=3D'font-size:12.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal>Also under the heading of “NOT to be =
> included”
> are well intentioned efforts to sugar coat the pill, as it were. Which =
> is to
> say that we might propose certain limitations that will restrict =
> the 
> possibility of change in Open Space. Some of us have called these
> “givens” but so far as I can tell the only given is change =
> itself.
> And to suggest otherwise is not so much to violate the “Spirit of =
> Open
> Space” but rather the essence of the cosmos itself. Ralph had it =
> right:
> Everything is moving. In this context, Open Space Technology is a =
> minimal
> consideration.<o:p></o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal>I am by no means suggesting that our invitation =
> look like
> the back panel of some medication listing every possible adverce =
> reaction, if
> in fact unexpected change is such an adverce reaction. And truth to tell =
> I find
> the appearance of unexpected change in the midst of an Open Space to be =
> one of
> its (OS’s) most delightful consequences. I also think that it is
> important to note the OS is not the engine of change. It simply provides =
> the
> space for change to show up and the cosmos (or whatever) takes care of =
> all the
> heavy lifting.<o:p></o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal>For me an invitation to Open Space is an =
> opportunity to
> include friends and strangers in the deepest experience of (my) life. It =
> has little
> to do with selling a product, doing a process, excersizing some sort of
> professional competence – although there are doubtless elements of =
> all of
> that. Fundamentally it is my invitation to experience life at its =
> fullest in
> which chanagability is not the enemy to be suppressed but rather the =
> rich
> tapestry of an evolving future. I don’t make it, I can’t =
> predict it
> – but I can participate both as a sojourner and a co-creator. =
> Stuart
> Kauffman speaks of being “At Home in the Universe.” That is =
> my
> elemental experience, and I am always looking for =
> playmates.<o:p></o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:1.0in'><o:p> </o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal>Harrison Owen<o:p></o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal>7808 River Falls Dr.<o:p></o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal>Potomac, MD 20854<o:p></o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal>USA<o:p></o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal>Phone 301-365-2093<o:p></o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><a =
> href=3D"http://www.openspaceworld.com">www.openspaceworld.com</a><o:p></o=
> :p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><a =
> href=3D"http://www.ho-image.com">www.ho-image.com</a>
> (Personal Website)<o:p></o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
> style=3D'font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Consolas'>To
> subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of =
> </span><a
> href=3D"mailto:oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu"><span =
> style=3D'font-size:10.5pt;
> font-family:Consolas'>oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu</span></a><span
> style=3D'font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Consolas'>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><a =
> href=3D"http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html">http://lists=
> erv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</a><o:p></o:p></p>
> 
> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
> 
> </div>
> 
> </body>
> 
> </html>
> *
> *
>
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D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> -----------------------------
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
> view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
> 
> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
> http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
> 
> ------=_NextPart_000_0001_01CB4222.699A9210--
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Date:    Sun, 22 Aug 2010 16:53:25 -0700
> From:    Christine Whitney Sanchez <cwhitneysanchez at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: Everything is Moving: An Invitation to Join the flow
(longish)
> 
> --Apple-Mail-64--728671987
> Content-Type: text/plain;
> 	charset=WINDOWS-1252;
> 	format=flowed;
> 	delsp=yes
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
> 
> Stunning, Harrison.  I will play with you and Ethelyn Rose (perhaps on
=20=
> 
> the Ethelyn Rose) any time!
> 
> Love,
> 
> Christine
> 
> Christine Whitney Sanchez
> CWS - Collaborative Wisdom & Strategy
> 2717 E. Mountain Sky Avenue
> Phoenix, AZ 85048, USA
> +1.480.759.0262
> www.christinewhitneysanchez.com
> www.innovationpartners.com
> www.collaborativespark.com
> 
> On Aug 22, 2010, at 2:49 PM, Harrison Owen wrote:
> 
>> Our friend Suzanne Daigle sent me a note saying that it seemed I had =20=
> 
>> been very quiet on OSLIST. It is true that I appreciate silence, but =20=
> 
>> the real truth is, I was just thinking. Dangerous I know, but what =20
>> follows is the result =96 and you can blame it all on Suzanne (Joke!). =
> =20
>> So what do you think?
>> 
>> **************************************************************
>> 
>> A long time ago a good friend, Ralph Copleman, was to be found in =20
>> the middle of a large circle of peers dressed in a flowing cape and =20=
> 
>> repeating the words, =93Everything is moving, Everything is moving.=94 =
> =20
>> Odd to say the least and some doubted Ralph=92s sanity. Some still do, =
> =20
>> but that image has stuck in my febrile brain ever since =96 and as =20
>> time has passed it occurs to me that Ralph had it precisely right: =20
>> This is an energetic cosmos. The problem arises when we (and that =20
>> includes all of us some of the time) desperately want everything to  =20=
> 
>> stop and stand still. So desperately in fact that we have created a =20=
> 
>> mental image of our environment exclusively populated by static =20
>> things which include everything from mountains to super nova along =20
>> with the oddments of our life like professions, chairs, =20
>> relationships, organizational structures, corporations, countries =20
>> and empires. Unfortunately this mental image is a radical illusion, =20=
> 
>> one might say delusion. Ralph is right. Everything is moving and =20
>> what we perceive as stable structures are but the momentary, slice =20
>> in time, freeze-frame constructs of our imagination.
>> 
>> Heresy? Psychobabble?  Advanced esoteric insight? =96 None of the =20
>> above, I think. As a matter of fact, Ralph=92s observation is nothing
=20=
> 
>> but a short (poetic?) version of the (now) standard scientific =20
>> understanding of the nature of the cosmos. Starting with the Big =20
>> Bang it is all flowing energy, albeit now clumped in momentary =20
>> configurations =96 but still flowing energy for all of that. Scratch =20=
> 
>> any rock hard enough and its essential nature comes through =96 a =20
>> whirring bunch of quarks and neutrons doing the cosmic dance. =20
>> Doubtless my physicist friends would take issue with my phrasing =96 =20=
> 
>> but not, I think, with the core message. Everything is moving.
>> 
>> So what does all this have to do with the price of eggs? Or for that =20=
> 
>> matter =96 Open Space and our role as facilitators and consultants? A
=20=
> 
>> lot, I believe.
>> 
>> Starting with Open Space which is many things to different people. =20
>> For some it is a Large Group Intervention. Others might see it as an =20=
> 
>> aberrant phenomenon peculiar to a cultish few. For myself Open Space =20=
> 
>> is a trial ride in the flow of life which has a lot of similarities =20=
> 
>> to my boat.
>> 
>> My boat is smallish in size (32 feet) but definitely larger than the =20=
> 
>> average punt. She is very seaworthy and shares a common heritage =20
>> with the local Lobster Boats here in Maine. We have many visitors, =20
>> most of whom have never been on a boat such as the Ethelyn Rose. =20
>> When you walk on board, things look sort of familiar. Chairs for =20
>> sitting, a comfortable nook for dining, and even an oriental rug on =20=
> 
>> the floor =96 excuse me, sole. If you look further there are the =20
>> standard amenities such as a shower and commode, all sequestered in =20=
> 
>> their separate quarters. Even a complete landlubber will feel more =20
>> or less at home.
>> 
>> But the moment we leave the dock the world changes =96 apparent =20
>> stability yields to constant motion. Everything is moving even if it =20=
> 
>> seems to be staying in the same place! In the harbor motion is =20
>> minimal, but the moment  we clear the breakwater marking the harbor =20=
> 
>> entrance the experience can be radically different. Sea swells from =20=
> 
>> the open Atlantic Ocean take us up and down in distances measured in =20=
> 
>> yards, and should we have a good cross wind the surface chop adds an =20=
> 
>> interesting side to side motion. The Ethelyn Rose is right at home, =20=
> 
>> but some of our visitors have a different impression. And navigating =20=
> 
>> in these conditions is a definite learning experience. Even a simple =20=
> 
>> walk through the main cabin can be a challenge. Hand holds that you =20=
> 
>> had carefully plotted at the start of your journey suddenly changed =20=
> 
>> position relative to you as you made your way. What was up is now =20
>> down and who knows what is happening in between. Interesting, and as =20=
> 
>> they say, It ain=92t Kansas.
>> 
>> Most people meet the challenge and after a few educational bumps to  =20=
> 
>> various parts of their anatomy they learn not to fight reality. No =20
>> matter what you may have thought you were going to do, the only =20
>> useful option is to go with the flow. And the next level of learning =20=
> 
>> is that when you do that well (flow) you can actually arrive where =20
>> you need to be. Wonderful! Sounds a lot like Open Space.
>> 
>> We start in the static stability of a circle. This may seem strange =20=
> 
>> to some, but there is a place for everybody and everybody finds a =20
>> place. A familiar and enduring structure for sure. Then it happens. =20=
> 
>> The circle crumbles in bits and pieces as people come to center, =20
>> announcing their passions =96 only to be briefly restored as they =20
>> return to their seats. However the restoration is but momentary. =20
>> Shortly everybody leaves their seats to join a chaotic gaggle at the =20=
> 
>> wall. So much for static structure, and it goes downhill from there.
>> 
>> Ebbing and flowing, groups form and reform all without benefit of =20
>> the standard constraints essential for orderly organizational life=97=20=
> 
>> or so we might have thought. Pre-arranged agenda (sometimes called =20
>> Mission, Goals, Objectives) is nonexistent. The Schedule might be =20
>> posted but never followed =96 things start when they start. Assigned =20=
> 
>> participation is nowhere to be found, and yet the right people show =20=
> 
>> up. And to make things even worse, the air is filled with buzzing =20
>> and flutters as Bees and Butterflies do their thing. Madness! To be =20=
> 
>> sure there may be a few people who are utterly flummoxed as the hand =20=
> 
>> holds they may have expected (see above under =93Ethelyn Rose at Sea=94)=
> =20
>> disappear . . . or reappear in unexpected places. Their condition is =20=
> 
>> not helped, for should they ask what to do the answer is likely to =20
>> come back as a question =96 What would they care to do?
>> 
>> A trifling few will lose heart and head for the shore =96 perceived =20=
> 
>> stability. But the vast majority, as we have seen over the years and =20=
> 
>> around the globe, will be totally captivated by the moment, and a =20
>> smaller group will experience that moment as total exhilaration. =20
>> They are doing what their prior life experience taught them could =20
>> not be done =96 seriously and intentionally going with the flow. And =20=
> 
>> rather than being rank hedonism, the experience proves to be =20
>> massively productive and fulfilling. Doing well and good =96 and =20
>> feeling great. A hard to beat combination.
>> 
>> And then we come to Monday Morning. Back to reality, as they say. =20
>> But is it? The truth, I believe is rather different. They have =20
>> experienced reality and come to the edge of shedding illusion/=20
>> delusion. In the words of friend Ralph, =93Everything is moving=94 =96 =
> and =20
>> this is now a fact of life to be savored and enjoyed. No longer a =20
>> terrifying unknown, it is to be affirmed and embraced. Not without a =20=
> 
>> few =93white knuckle=94 moments to be sure =96 but infinitely better =
> than =20
>> hanging onto the (illusory) rock of stability.
>> 
>> So what about us =96 those privileged folks who have accepted the =20
>> honor of opening space in people=92s lives? Short answer: Invite our =20=
> 
>> guests over the edge. Please note I did not say, Push them over the =20=
> 
>> edge.
>> 
>> Crafting this invitation is always a matter of personal style and =20
>> must come from the heart. The invitation I have in mind never  =20
>> appears on a piece of paper (or the electronic equivalent). It =20
>> arrives in our personhood =96 who we are and how we present ourselves, =
> =20
>> which is to say, from the heart. Not to be confused with a gushy =20
>> valentine or formulaic presentation, the invitation manifests in our =20=
> 
>> simple presence, revealing our own acceptance and joy in the moving =20=
> 
>> flow of life. Without words we express the swimmer=92s call: Come on =20=
> 
>> in, the water is fine! Of course you have to be in the water for =20
>> that call to have any credibility.
>> 
>> It is perhaps easier to say how NOT to create this invitation. First =20=
> 
>> off, it is not a matter of rational argument and presentation of =20
>> facts. Most people already know the facts at some level, and I think =20=
> 
>> the case could be made that it was =93rational argument=94 that has =20=
> 
>> gotten us into the bind we experience. Given the =93fact=94 of a =
> moving, =20
>> changing world which can be very uncomfortable, it is quite =20
>> =93rational=94 to define that world in terms of controllable static =20=
> 
>> chunks that may be contained, or better, bent to our =20
>> specifications.  This has led us to such wonderful things as =93Flood
=20=
> 
>> Control=94 which works until such time as Mother Nature and Old Man =20=
> 
>> River decide to take a different course. It turns out that The River =20=
> 
>> is not a static, definable thing but part of a vast ever changing =20
>> system. Effective Flood Control would require close management of =20
>> the Planet=92s atmosphere to say nothing of the cosmos beyond. Good =20=
> 
>> luck!
>> 
>> Also under the heading of =93NOT to be included=94 are well =
> intentioned =20
>> efforts to sugar coat the pill, as it were. Which is to say that we =20=
> 
>> might propose certain limitations that will restrict the  =20
>> possibility of change in Open Space. Some of us have called these =20
>> =93givens=94 but so far as I can tell the only given is change itself. =
> =20
>> And to suggest otherwise is not so much to violate the =93Spirit of =20=
> 
>> Open Space=94 but rather the essence of the cosmos itself. Ralph had =20=
> 
>> it right: Everything is moving. In this context, Open Space =20
>> Technology is a minimal consideration.
>> 
>> I am by no means suggesting that our invitation look like the back =20
>> panel of some medication listing every possible adverce reaction, if =20=
> 
>> in fact unexpected change is such an adverce reaction. And truth to =20=
> 
>> tell I find the appearance of unexpected change in the midst of an =20
>> Open Space to be one of its (OS=92s) most delightful consequences. I =20=
> 
>> also think that it is important to note the OS is not the engine of =20=
> 
>> change. It simply provides the space for change to show up and the =20
>> cosmos (or whatever) takes care of all the heavy lifting.
>> 
>> For me an invitation to Open Space is an opportunity to include =20
>> friends and strangers in the deepest experience of (my) life. It has =20=
> 
>> little to do with selling a product, doing a process, excersizing =20
>> some sort of professional competence =96 although there are doubtless
=20=
> 
>> elements of all of that. Fundamentally it is my invitation to =20
>> experience life at its fullest in which chanagability is not the =20
>> enemy to be suppressed but rather the rich tapestry of an evolving =20
>> future. I don=92t make it, I can=92t predict it =96 but I can =
> participate =20
>> both as a sojourner and a co-creator. Stuart Kauffman speaks of =20
>> being =93At Home in the Universe.=94 That is my elemental experience,
=20=
> 
>> and I am always looking for playmates.
>> 
>> Harrison Owen
>> 7808 River Falls Dr.
>> Potomac, MD 20854
>> USA
>> Phone 301-365-2093
>> www.openspaceworld.com
>> www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)
>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of =
> oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu=20
>> :
>> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
>> 
>> * *
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>
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
> =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU=20
>> ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change =20
>> your options, view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu: =
> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html=20
>> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: =
> http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
> 
> 
> *
> *
>
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D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> -----------------------------
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
> view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
> 
> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
> http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
> 
> --Apple-Mail-64--728671987
> Content-Type: text/html;
> 	charset=WINDOWS-1252
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
> 
> <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
> -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Stunning, Harrison.  I =
> will play with you and Ethelyn Rose (perhaps on the Ethelyn Rose) any =
> time!<div><br></div><div>Love,</div><div><br><div =
> apple-content-edited=3D"true"> <span class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
> style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: =
> Candara; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; =
> letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: =
> auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; =
> widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; =
> -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; =
> -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: =
> auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div =
> style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
> -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; =
>
"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>Christine<div><br></div><div>Chr=
> istine Whitney Sanchez</div><div>CWS - Collaborative Wisdom & =
> Strategy</div><div>2717 E. Mountain Sky Avenue</div><div>Phoenix, AZ =
> 85048, USA</div><div>+1.480.759.0262</div><div><a =
>
href=3D"http://www.christinewhitneysanchez.com">www.christinewhitneysanche=
> z.com</a></div><div><a =
>
href=3D"http://www.innovationpartners.com">www.innovationpartners.com</a><=
> /div><div><a =
>
href=3D"http://www.collaborativespark.com">www.collaborativespark.com</a><=
> /div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></span> =
> </div><br><div><div>On Aug 22, 2010, at 2:49 PM, Harrison Owen =
> wrote:</div><br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote =
> type=3D"cite"><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"border-collapse: =
> separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Candara; font-style: normal; =
> font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; =
> line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; =
> text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; =
> -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: =
> 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: =
> auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div =
> lang=3D"EN-US" link=3D"blue" vlink=3D"purple"><div class=3D"WordSection1"
=
> style=3D"page: WordSection1; "><div style=3D"margin-top: 0in; =
> margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: =
> 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; ">Our friend Suzanne Daigle sent =
> me a note saying that it seemed I had been very quiet on OSLIST. It is =
> true that I appreciate silence, but the real truth is, I was just =
> thinking. Dangerous I know, but what follows is the result =96 and you =
> can blame it all on Suzanne (Joke!). So what do you =
> think?<o:p></o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; =
> margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: =
> Calibri, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: =
> 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; =
> font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; =
>
">**************************************************************<o:p></o:p=
>> </div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: =
> 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, =
> sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0in; =
> margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: =
> 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; ">A long time ago a good friend, =
> Ralph Copleman, was to be found in the middle of a large circle of peers =
> dressed in a flowing cape and repeating the words, =93Everything is =
> moving, Everything is moving.=94 Odd to say the least and some doubted =
> Ralph=92s sanity. Some still do, but that image has stuck in my febrile =
> brain ever since =96 and as time has passed it occurs to me that Ralph =
> had it precisely right: This is an energetic cosmos. The problem arises =
> when we (and that includes all of us some of the time) desperately want =
> everything to  stop and stand still. So desperately in fact that we =
> have created a mental image of our environment exclusively populated by =
> static things which include everything from mountains to super nova =
> along with the oddments of our life like professions, chairs, =
> relationships, organizational structures, corporations, countries and =
> empires. Unfortunately this mental image is a radical illusion, one =
> might say delusion. Ralph is right. Everything is moving and what we =
> perceive as stable structures are but the momentary, slice in time, =
> freeze-frame constructs of our imagination.<o:p></o:p></div><div =
> style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; =
> margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; =
> "><o:p> </o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: =
> 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; =
> font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; ">Heresy? Psychobabble?  Advanced =
> esoteric insight? =96 None of the above, I think. As a matter of fact, =
> Ralph=92s observation is nothing but a short (poetic?) version of the =
> (now) standard scientific understanding of the nature of the cosmos. =
> Starting with the Big Bang it is all flowing energy, albeit now clumped =
> in momentary configurations =96 but still flowing energy for all of =
> that. Scratch any rock hard enough and its essential nature comes =
> through =96 a whirring bunch of quarks and neutrons doing the cosmic =
> dance. Doubtless my physicist friends would take issue with my phrasing =
> =96 but not, I think, with the core message. Everything is =
> moving.<o:p></o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: =
> 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; =
> font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></div><div =
> style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; =
> margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; =
> ">So what does all this have to do with the price of eggs? Or for that =
> matter =96 Open Space and our role as facilitators and consultants? A =
> lot, I believe.<o:p></o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0in; =
> margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: =
> 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></div><div =
> style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; =
> margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; =
> ">Starting with Open Space which is many things to different people. For =
> some it is a Large Group Intervention. Others might see it as an =
> aberrant phenomenon peculiar to a cultish few. For myself Open Space is =
> a trial ride in the flow of life which has a lot of similarities to my =
> boat.<o:p></o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; =
> margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: =
> Calibri, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: =
> 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; =
> font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; ">My boat is smallish =
> in size (32 feet) but definitely larger than the average punt. She is =
> very seaworthy and shares a common heritage with the local Lobster Boats =
> here in Maine. We have many visitors, most of whom have never been on a =
> boat such as the Ethelyn Rose. When you walk on board, things look sort =
> of familiar. Chairs for sitting, a comfortable nook for dining, and even =
> an oriental rug on the floor =96 excuse me, sole. If you look further =
> there are the standard amenities such as a shower and commode, all =
> sequestered in their separate quarters. Even a complete landlubber will =
> feel more or less at home.<o:p></o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: =
> 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; =
> font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; =
> "><o:p> </o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: =
> 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; =
> font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; ">But the moment we leave the dock the =
> world changes =96 apparent stability yields to constant motion. =
> Everything is moving even if it seems to be staying in the same place! =
> In the harbor motion is minimal, but the moment  we clear the =
> breakwater marking the harbor entrance the experience can be radically =
> different. Sea swells from the open Atlantic Ocean take us up and down =
> in distances measured in yards, and should we have a good cross wind the =
> surface chop adds an interesting side to side motion. The Ethelyn Rose =
> is right at home, but some of our visitors have a different impression. =
> And navigating in these conditions is a definite learning experience. =
> Even a simple walk through the main cabin can be a challenge. Hand holds =
> that you had carefully plotted at the start of your journey suddenly =
> changed position relative to you as you made your way. What was up is =
> now down and who knows what is happening in between. Interesting, and as =
> they say, It ain=92t Kansas.<o:p></o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: =
> 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; =
> font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify; =
> "><o:p> </o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: =
> 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; =
> font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; ">Most people meet the challenge and =
> after a few educational bumps to  various parts of their anatomy =
> they learn not to fight reality. No matter what you may have thought you =
> were going to do, the only useful option is to go with the flow. And the =
> next level of learning is that when you do that well (flow) you can =
> actually arrive where you need to be. Wonderful! Sounds a lot like Open =
> Space.<o:p></o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; =
> margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: =
> Calibri, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: =
> 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; =
> font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; ">We start in the =
> static stability of a circle. This may seem strange to some, but there =
> is a place for everybody and everybody finds a place. A familiar and =
> enduring structure for sure. Then it happens. The circle crumbles in =
> bits and pieces as people come to center, announcing their passions =96 =
> only to be briefly restored as they return to their seats. However the =
> restoration is but momentary. Shortly everybody leaves their seats to =
> join a chaotic gaggle at the wall. So much for static structure, and it =
> goes downhill from there.<o:p></o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0in; =
> margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: =
> 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></div><div =
> style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; =
> margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; =
> ">Ebbing and flowing, groups form and reform all without benefit of the =
> standard constraints essential for orderly organizational life=97or so =
> we might have thought. Pre-arranged agenda (sometimes called Mission, =
> Goals, Objectives) is nonexistent. The Schedule might be posted but =
> never followed =96 things start when they start. Assigned participation =
> is nowhere to be found, and yet the right people show up. And to make =
> things even worse, the air is filled with buzzing and flutters as Bees =
> and Butterflies do their thing. Madness! To be sure there may be a few =
> people who are utterly flummoxed as the hand holds they may have =
> expected (see above under =93Ethelyn Rose at Sea=94) disappear . . . or =
> reappear in unexpected places. Their condition is not helped, for should =
> they ask what to do the answer is likely to come back as a question =96 =
> What would they care to do?<o:p></o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: =
> 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; =
> font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; =
> "><o:p> </o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: =
> 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; =
> font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; ">A trifling few will lose heart and =
> head for the shore =96 perceived stability. But the vast majority, as we =
> have seen over the years and around the globe, will be totally =
> captivated by the moment, and a smaller group will experience that =
> moment as total exhilaration. They are doing what their prior life =
> experience taught them could not be done =96 seriously and intentionally =
> going with the flow. And rather than being rank hedonism, the experience =
> proves to be massively productive and fulfilling. Doing well and good =96
=
> and feeling great. A hard to beat combination.<o:p></o:p></div><div =
> style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; =
> margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; =
> "><o:p> </o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: =
> 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; =
> font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; ">And then we come to Monday Morning. =
> Back to reality, as they say. But is it? The truth, I believe is rather =
> different. They have experienced reality and come to the edge of =
> shedding illusion/delusion. In the words of friend Ralph, =93Everything =
> is moving=94 =96 and this is now a fact of life to be savored and =
> enjoyed. No longer a terrifying unknown, it is to be affirmed and =
> embraced. Not without a few =93white knuckle=94 moments to be sure =96 =
> but infinitely better than hanging onto the (illusory) rock of =
> stability.<o:p></o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: =
> 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; =
> font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></div><div =
> style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; =
> margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; =
> ">So what about us =96 those privileged folks who have accepted the =
> honor of opening space in people=92s lives? Short answer: Invite our =
> guests over the edge. Please note I did not say, Push them over the =
> edge.<o:p></o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; =
> margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: =
> Calibri, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: =
> 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; =
> font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; ">Crafting this =
> invitation is always a matter of personal style and must come from the =
> heart. The invitation I have in mind never  appears on a piece of =
> paper (or the electronic equivalent). It arrives in our personhood =96 =
> who we are and how we present ourselves, which is to say, from the =
> heart. Not to be confused with a gushy valentine or formulaic =
> presentation, the invitation manifests in our simple presence, revealing =
> our own acceptance and joy in the moving flow of life. Without words we =
> express the swimmer=92s call: Come on in, the water is fine! Of course =
> you have to be in the water for that call to have any =
> credibility.<o:p></o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0in; =
> margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: =
> 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></div><div =
> style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; =
> margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; =
> ">It is perhaps easier to say how NOT to create this invitation. First =
> off, it is not a matter of rational argument and presentation of facts. =
> Most people already know the facts at some level, and I think the case =
> could be made that it was =93rational argument=94 that has gotten us =
> into the bind we experience. Given the =93fact=94 of a moving, changing =
> world which can be very uncomfortable, it is quite =93rational=94 to =
> define that world in terms of controllable static chunks that may be =
> contained, or better, bent to our specifications.  This has led us =
> to such wonderful things as =93Flood Control=94 which works until such =
> time as Mother Nature and Old Man River decide to take a different =
> course. It turns out that The River is not a static, definable thing but =
> part of a vast ever changing system. Effective Flood Control would =
> require close management of the Planet=92s atmosphere to say nothing of =
> the cosmos beyond. Good luck!<span style=3D"font-size: 12pt; =
> "><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: =
> 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; =
> font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></div><div =
> style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; =
> margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; =
> ">Also under the heading of =93NOT to be included=94 are well =
> intentioned efforts to sugar coat the pill, as it were. Which is to say =
> that we might propose certain limitations that will restrict the  =
> possibility of change in Open Space. Some of us have called these =
> =93givens=94 but so far as I can tell the only given is change itself. =
> And to suggest otherwise is not so much to violate the =93Spirit of Open =
> Space=94 but rather the essence of the cosmos itself. Ralph had it =
> right: Everything is moving. In this context, Open Space Technology is a =
> minimal consideration.<o:p></o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0in; =
> margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: =
> 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "> <o:p></o:p></div><div =
> style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; =
> margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; ">I =
> am by no means suggesting that our invitation look like the back panel =
> of some medication listing every possible adverce reaction, if in fact =
> unexpected change is such an adverce reaction. And truth to tell I find =
> the appearance of unexpected change in the midst of an Open Space to be =
> one of its (OS=92s) most delightful consequences. I also think that it =
> is important to note the OS is not the engine of change. It simply =
> provides the space for change to show up and the cosmos (or whatever) =
> takes care of all the heavy lifting.<o:p></o:p></div><div =
> style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; =
> margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; =
> "><o:p> </o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: =
> 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; =
> font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; ">For me an invitation to Open Space =
> is an opportunity to include friends and strangers in the deepest =
> experience of (my) life. It has little to do with selling a product, =
> doing a process, excersizing some sort of professional competence =96 =
> although there are doubtless elements of all of that. Fundamentally it =
> is my invitation to experience life at its fullest in which =
> chanagability is not the enemy to be suppressed but rather the rich =
> tapestry of an evolving future. I don=92t make it, I can=92t predict it =
> =96 but I can participate both as a sojourner and a co-creator. Stuart =
> Kauffman speaks of being =93At Home in the Universe.=94 That is my =
> elemental experience, and I am always looking for =
> playmates.<o:p></o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: =
> 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 1in; font-size: 11pt; =
> font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></div><div =
> style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; =
> margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; =
> ">Harrison Owen<o:p></o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0in; =
> margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: =
> 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; ">7808 River Falls =
> Dr.<o:p></o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; =
> margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: =
> Calibri, sans-serif; ">Potomac, MD 20854<o:p></o:p></div><div =
> style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; =
> margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; =
> ">USA<o:p></o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; =
> margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: =
> Calibri, sans-serif; ">Phone 301-365-2093<o:p></o:p></div><div =
> style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; =
> margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; =
> "><a href=3D"http://www.openspaceworld.com" style=3D"color: blue; =
> text-decoration: underline; =
> ">www.openspaceworld.com</a><o:p></o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: =
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> font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><a =
> href=3D"http://www.ho-image.com" style=3D"color: blue; text-decoration: =
> underline; ">www.ho-image.com</a><span =
> class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span>(Personal =
> Website)<o:p></o:p></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: =
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=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
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>From  Mon Aug 23 23:09:13 2010
Message-Id: <MON.23.AUG.2010.230913.0400.>
Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2010 23:09:13 -0400
Reply-To: 76066.515 at compuserve.com
To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
From: doug <os at footprintsinthewind.com>
Subject: Re: Everything is Moving: An Invitation to Join the flow (longish)
In-Reply-To: <000001cb4243$f0ac3210$d2049630$@net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
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Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

Harrison--

Sounds to me like the beginnings of a (wonderful) book!

			:- Doug.



On Sun, 2010-08-22 at 17:49 -0400, Harrison Owen wrote:
> Our friend Suzanne Daigle sent me a note saying that it seemed I had
> been very quiet on OSLIST. It is true that I appreciate silence, but
> the real truth is, I was just thinking. Dangerous I know, but what
> follows is the result – and you can blame it all on Suzanne (Joke!).
> So what do you think?
> 
>  
> 
> **************************************************************
> 
>  
> 
> A long time ago a good friend, Ralph Copleman, was to be found in the
> middle of a large circle of peers dressed in a flowing cape and
> repeating the words, “Everything is moving, Everything is moving.” Odd
> to say the least and some doubted Ralph’s sanity. Some still do, but
> that image has stuck in my febrile brain ever since – and as time has
> passed it occurs to me that Ralph had it precisely right: This is an
> energetic cosmos. The problem arises when we (and that includes all of
> us some of the time) desperately want everything to  stop and stand
> still. So desperately in fact that we have created a mental image of
> our environment exclusively populated by static things which include
> everything from mountains to super nova along with the oddments of our
> life like professions, chairs, relationships, organizational
> structures, corporations, countries and empires. Unfortunately this
> mental image is a radical illusion, one might say delusion. Ralph is
> right. Everything is moving and what we perceive as stable structures
> are but the momentary, slice in time, freeze-frame constructs of our
> imagination.
> 
>  
> 
> Heresy? Psychobabble?  Advanced esoteric insight? – None of the above,
> I think. As a matter of fact, Ralph’s observation is nothing but a
> short (poetic?) version of the (now) standard scientific understanding
> of the nature of the cosmos. Starting with the Big Bang it is all
> flowing energy, albeit now clumped in momentary configurations – but
> still flowing energy for all of that. Scratch any rock hard enough and
> its essential nature comes through – a whirring bunch of quarks and
> neutrons doing the cosmic dance. Doubtless my physicist friends would
> take issue with my phrasing – but not, I think, with the core message.
> Everything is moving. 
> 
>  
> 
> So what does all this have to do with the price of eggs? Or for that
> matter – Open Space and our role as facilitators and consultants? A
> lot, I believe.
> 
>  
> 
> Starting with Open Space which is many things to different people. For
> some it is a Large Group Intervention. Others might see it as an
> aberrant phenomenon peculiar to a cultish few. For myself Open Space
> is a trial ride in the flow of life which has a lot of similarities to
> my boat. 
> 
>  
> 
> My boat is smallish in size (32 feet) but definitely larger than the
> average punt. She is very seaworthy and shares a common heritage with
> the local Lobster Boats here in Maine. We have many visitors, most of
> whom have never been on a boat such as the Ethelyn Rose. When you walk
> on board, things look sort of familiar. Chairs for sitting, a
> comfortable nook for dining, and even an oriental rug on the floor –
> excuse me, sole. If you look further there are the standard amenities
> such as a shower and commode, all sequestered in their separate
> quarters. Even a complete landlubber will feel more or less at home.
> 
>  
> 
> But the moment we leave the dock the world changes – apparent
> stability yields to constant motion. Everything is moving even if it
> seems to be staying in the same place! In the harbor motion is
> minimal, but the moment  we clear the breakwater marking the harbor
> entrance the experience can be radically different. Sea swells from
> the open Atlantic Ocean take us up and down in distances measured in
> yards, and should we have a good cross wind the surface chop adds an
> interesting side to side motion. The Ethelyn Rose is right at home,
> but some of our visitors have a different impression. And navigating
> in these conditions is a definite learning experience. Even a simple
> walk through the main cabin can be a challenge. Hand holds that you
> had carefully plotted at the start of your journey suddenly changed
> position relative to you as you made your way. What was up is now down
> and who knows what is happening in between. Interesting, and as they
> say, It ain’t Kansas. 
> 
>  
> 
> Most people meet the challenge and after a few educational bumps to
> various parts of their anatomy they learn not to fight reality. No
> matter what you may have thought you were going to do, the only useful
> option is to go with the flow. And the next level of learning is that
> when you do that well (flow) you can actually arrive where you need to
> be. Wonderful! Sounds a lot like Open Space.
> 
>  
> 
> We start in the static stability of a circle. This may seem strange to
> some, but there is a place for everybody and everybody finds a place.
> A familiar and enduring structure for sure. Then it happens. The
> circle crumbles in bits and pieces as people come to center,
> announcing their passions – only to be briefly restored as they return
> to their seats. However the restoration is but momentary. Shortly
> everybody leaves their seats to join a chaotic gaggle at the wall. So
> much for static structure, and it goes downhill from there. 
> 
>  
> 
> Ebbing and flowing, groups form and reform all without benefit of the
> standard constraints essential for orderly organizational life—or so
> we might have thought. Pre-arranged agenda (sometimes called Mission,
> Goals, Objectives) is nonexistent. The Schedule might be posted but
> never followed – things start when they start. Assigned participation
> is nowhere to be found, and yet the right people show up. And to make
> things even worse, the air is filled with buzzing and flutters as Bees
> and Butterflies do their thing. Madness! To be sure there may be a few
> people who are utterly flummoxed as the hand holds they may have
> expected (see above under “Ethelyn Rose at Sea”) disappear . . . or
> reappear in unexpected places. Their condition is not helped, for
> should they ask what to do the answer is likely to come back as a
> question – What would they care to do?
> 
>  
> 
> A trifling few will lose heart and head for the shore – perceived
> stability. But the vast majority, as we have seen over the years and
> around the globe, will be totally captivated by the moment, and a
> smaller group will experience that moment as total exhilaration. They
> are doing what their prior life experience taught them could not be
> done – seriously and intentionally going with the flow. And rather
> than being rank hedonism, the experience proves to be massively
> productive and fulfilling. Doing well and good – and feeling great. A
> hard to beat combination.
> 
>  
> 
> And then we come to Monday Morning. Back to reality, as they say. But
> is it? The truth, I believe is rather different. They have experienced
> reality and come to the edge of shedding illusion/delusion. In the
> words of friend Ralph, “Everything is moving” – and this is now a fact
> of life to be savored and enjoyed. No longer a terrifying unknown, it
> is to be affirmed and embraced. Not without a few “white knuckle”
> moments to be sure – but infinitely better than hanging onto the
> (illusory) rock of stability. 
> 
>  
> 
> So what about us – those privileged folks who have accepted the honor
> of opening space in people’s lives? Short answer: Invite our guests
> over the edge. Please note I did not say, Push them over the edge.
> 
>  
> 
> Crafting this invitation is always a matter of personal style and must
> come from the heart. The invitation I have in mind never  appears on a
> piece of paper (or the electronic equivalent). It arrives in our
> personhood – who we are and how we present ourselves, which is to say,
> from the heart. Not to be confused with a gushy valentine or formulaic
> presentation, the invitation manifests in our simple presence,
> revealing our own acceptance and joy in the moving flow of life.
> Without words we express the swimmer’s call: Come on in, the water is
> fine! Of course you have to be in the water for that call to have any
> credibility.
> 
>  
> 
> It is perhaps easier to say how NOT to create this invitation. First
> off, it is not a matter of rational argument and presentation of
> facts. Most people already know the facts at some level, and I think
> the case could be made that it was “rational argument” that has gotten
> us into the bind we experience. Given the “fact” of a moving, changing
> world which can be very uncomfortable, it is quite “rational” to
> define that world in terms of controllable static chunks that may be
> contained, or better, bent to our specifications.  This has led us to
> such wonderful things as “Flood Control” which works until such time
> as Mother Nature and Old Man River decide to take a different course.
> It turns out that The River is not a static, definable thing but part
> of a vast ever changing system. Effective Flood Control would require
> close management of the Planet’s atmosphere to say nothing of the
> cosmos beyond. Good luck!
> 
>  
> 
> Also under the heading of “NOT to be included” are well intentioned
> efforts to sugar coat the pill, as it were. Which is to say that we
> might propose certain limitations that will restrict the  possibility
> of change in Open Space. Some of us have called these “givens” but so
> far as I can tell the only given is change itself. And to suggest
> otherwise is not so much to violate the “Spirit of Open Space” but
> rather the essence of the cosmos itself. Ralph had it right:
> Everything is moving. In this context, Open Space Technology is a
> minimal consideration.
> 
>  
> 
> I am by no means suggesting that our invitation look like the back
> panel of some medication listing every possible adverce reaction, if
> in fact unexpected change is such an adverce reaction. And truth to
> tell I find the appearance of unexpected change in the midst of an
> Open Space to be one of its (OS’s) most delightful consequences. I
> also think that it is important to note the OS is not the engine of
> change. It simply provides the space for change to show up and the
> cosmos (or whatever) takes care of all the heavy lifting.
> 
>  
> 
> For me an invitation to Open Space is an opportunity to include
> friends and strangers in the deepest experience of (my) life. It has
> little to do with selling a product, doing a process, excersizing some
> sort of professional competence – although there are doubtless
> elements of all of that. Fundamentally it is my invitation to
> experience life at its fullest in which chanagability is not the enemy
> to be suppressed but rather the rich tapestry of an evolving future. I
> don’t make it, I can’t predict it – but I can participate both as a
> sojourner and a co-creator. Stuart Kauffman speaks of being “At Home
> in the Universe.” That is my elemental experience, and I am always
> looking for playmates.
> 
>  
> 
> Harrison Owen
> 
> 7808 River Falls Dr.
> 
> Potomac, MD 20854
> 
> USA
> 
> Phone 301-365-2093
> 
> www.openspaceworld.com
> 
> www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)
> 
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> 
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> 
>  
> 
> 
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