Thanksgiving Day, Family and Science

Mon Nov 29 13:55:22 PST 2010

Hi Suzanne,
I'm just coming back and catching up after almost 3 months of absence. I am so 
sorry to hear the news about your father's health. At the same time I hear in 
your words how more loving and happy your relationship is with him now. This is 
not only a wonderful evolution but it is surely a real comfort in times like 
this. 

It is heartwarming to see how the simple life principles of OS bring light in 
our lives in a variety of ways. Your testimony is a valuable contribution to our 
OS community. I look forward to a voice to voice encounter when the time is 
right for you. I will in the meantime hold you very close to my heart.

A friend,
Diane

________________________________
From: Suzanne Daigle <sdaigle4 at gmail.com>
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Sent: Thu, November 25, 2010 7:09:26 AM
Subject: [OSLIST] Thanksgiving Day, Family and Science

A special Thanksgiving post to my Open Space Family,

On August 25th, I posted to the Open Space community asking if others had worked 
with scientists. 
https://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#search/scientist/12a43584cdab69f7

Many in the OS community responded: Stella, Spark, Peggy, Diane, Andrew, Robyn, 
and Harrison.  
On October 24-25, a group of 40 national scientists and friends of scientists 
gathered at The Elliot School for International Affairs, part of the George 
Washington University to discuss “Shifting the Effort-Reward Ratio in Science”.  
The sponsor, host and now a dear friend was Kennan Salinero, President of Yámana 
Science and Technology.

The weeks and months (and for the sponsor, the years) preceding this event were 
a heroic journey (à la Joseph Campbell) in my estimation.  Not easy to attract a 
group of scientists whose very survival and “reputation” depends on a system and 
structure that is defined by words like publish, document, prove, present, 
funding, panelists, reputation, data, methodology, objectives, etc. 

The two-day event began with a panelist series of presentations on the first 
morning, Harrison Owen as guest speak at lunch, and then 1.5 days in Open Space. 
See wonderful video that Harrison referred to in his OS posting a few days ago. 
 http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6855090/11.09.10%20Harrison%20Owen%20v3%20Medium.mov
All I can about Harrison’s talk is that the video cannot capture the spirit it 
ignited in the folks. What a gift!

This Washington event happened a month ago, and for those who know me, my habit 
would have been to share this experience with you almost immediately, as a way 
of thanking everyone who offered support and ideas and also to gift back the 
essence and learning as we so often do in our extraordinary community. 

On the day I got back from Washington however, I received a middle of the night 
emergency call from my dad telling me that he was being admitted to the 
hospital. I have written about my father before, how much of a fan he has become 
of Open Space (reading the Italian translation of it), this radiologist doctor 
who is a scientist himself, who reveres all that is “evidence-based, provable, 
data, facts, etc.”, who at the age of 80 has kept his mind active reading 
quantum physics and all that is science.  I have talked about how our 
father-daughter relationship these past few years has blossomed because of Open 
Space inviting stories, feelings and a closeness that is somehow all connected 
to “living in the moment” and learning to “just be ourselves” which happens to 
people a lot when they experience the energy and joy of coming home in Open 
Space. 

Well the master plan of life is calling my dad to another place. These have been 
difficult days and weeks and yet, in the midst of my sadness as I spend all of 
my time with him and my mom, Open Space has become the friend, the community, 
the wise one who is always there for me in spirit and in philosophy. It feels 
strange and confusing for me to share something this personal and private with 
you now and yet on this Thanksgiving Day, it feels right to do so.

Interesting that Juan Walker posted this topic of OS and Scientific Method: 
Juan, who with a wonderful team of people will be hosting us in Chile next year; 
Juan, whose country galvanized the world in a life-death mining event that 
captured our heart and soul.  

So as I struggle still with so many emotions including my unsorted thoughts and 
feelings about our Washington Science event of a month ago, all I can say 
reflecting back is that Open Space is above all a “human and living experience” 
that brings out the best of what’s inside an individual (head and heart) and in 
that, scientists are no different.  As I reflect on all that transpired in 
Washington, remembering people in deep conversations sitting around tables on 
the balcony of the seventh floor overlooking the Washington monument and the 
Capitol Building, I just know that something important and special happened 
then…something that will lead to something, that meant something and that was 
beautiful in itself.   

As one very cerebral and intellectual scientist said during morning news which 
people say often, you can’t know Open Space until you experience it.  “I just 
couldn’t understand it at all when people described it to me.”  

Perhaps later, I will process and summarize all that happened a month ago. In 
the meantime, for those who are interested in getting a feel of what transpired, 
you can visit this website which contains a little bit of everything.  Just know 
that as was the case with Harrison’s video, it will only be part of the story.  

http://unsummit2010.yamanascience.org/

And then finally, thank you Andrew Rixon for being one who offered help and 
resources during the planning! I highly recommend your paper to others. 

http://www.babelfishgroup.com/files/Measuring%20a%20successful%20meeting.pdf

It speaks of scientists, of Open Space and a “passion network”.  Somehow I think 
I’ll be coming back to what he described, the before and after of Open Space, 
how it ignites passion and how people connect in the common passion of something 
they care deeply about. 

In closing, Happy Thanksgiving Day and as many of you sit around the table in 
circle being with family and friends, may it overflow with stories, love and 
life making it a special Open Space day for all!
Suzanne
-- 
Suzanne Daigle
NuFocus Strategic Group
7159 Victoria Circle
University Park, FL 34201
FL 941-359-8877;  
CT 203-722-2009
www.nufocusgroup.com
s.daigle at nufocusgroup.com
twitter @suzannedaigle

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