[OSList] OSONOS Whenever, Wherever, with Whomsoever

Wed Oct 24 08:04:32 PDT 2012

Harold - If I thought for a moment that Michael were "insisting" on
anything, as if that would have any impact (and the same goes for me) - I
would instantaneously invite Friend Michael for a short conversation in the
woodshed - as if that would do any goodJ My read is that he was just posing
hypotheticals, perhaps with a touch of hyperbole. Danger of words I suspect.

Harrison 

Harrison Owen

7808 River Falls Dr.

Potomac, MD 20854

USA

189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)

Camden, Maine 20854

Phone 301-365-2093

(summer)  207-763-3261

www.openspaceworld.com 

www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)

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From: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org
[mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Harold Shinsato
Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2012 3:28 AM
To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
Subject: Re: [OSList] OSONOS Whenever, Wherever, with Whomsoever

Michael,

With trepidation I continue this conversation despite the sense that we're
alone in a circle and everyone else on the list are using the law of
de-lete. I hope you don't mind if I reflect back a few of your statements.

"What if anyone could indeed convene an osonos?"

I don't get your question. Anyone can indeed convene an OSonOS.

"what if the notes from all of these osonos events were posted to this one
site?  ...so that the W came to denote ALL of our work IN open space ON open
space?  wouldn't this be a gem of a demonstration that we are living our
practice and inviting anyone to join us as colleagues, not just as
trainees?"

It sounds like you're saying if you do an OSonOS and you don't post to "this
one site", then you're not living the practice (i.e. out of integrity) and
you are inviting people as trainees. Will you explain these sentiments? I'm
not getting it.

"[...] we insist on having this annual keynote event?"

My head spins and my heart hurts reading this statement. First of all, the
word "insist" connotes some kind of pushiness. Like it's being imposed. For
me what Phelim did in London was a wonderful and beautiful expression of
love and passion for Open Space - and for advancing this powerful dialogic
practice in the U.K. and in the world. Phelim, the volunteers, and all the
attendees of both the WOSonOS and the "road show" of Open Space events
leading up to the event made great sacrifices and from my perspective were
gloriously successful - despite the postfacto criticisms. If anything, I
think the intensity of the criticisms are evidence of how much the London
WOSonOS succeeded! We're riding a big wave in the aftermath of that event!

My own desire to support Suzanne Daigle to hold this event again in Florida
in 2013 has absolutely nothing to do with the word "insist". I wish you
could understand how it stings when I hear that word - but obviously it
expresses some part of your experience. Will you say more from your heart
what's behind choosing that word?

Secondly, it sounds like a very harsh judgement for the WOSonOS to be called
a "keynote" event - like it's evidence that our community is out of
integrity since obviously Open Space is all about not having keynotes (a
sentiment I don't actually share). Do in fact all Open Space on Open Space
events need to be equal? If someone wants to hold an Open Space on Open
Space event just for those who speak Hawaiian - and they call it a Hawaiian
Open Space on Open Space (HOSonOS) - is that a problem? The World Open Space
community has been holding these WOSonOS's for decades so it seems pretty
clear we *like* to do these events. Your call to kill them off deeply
saddens me - and yet I sense this conversation is critical. I hope you don't
mind me sharing from the heart how I am hearing your words, and if I am
mishearing you I will work hard to keep my mind and heart open.

    Peace,
    Harold

On 10/23/12 5:49 PM, Michael Herman wrote:

Harold, you said: But I'd be saddened if we somehow forbid the "W". It feels
like closing, not opening space.

What if instead we agreed to stretch the W, Harold?  What if anyone could
indeed convene an osonos?  what if anyone could indeed convene an osonos
gathering and what if it was as simple as posting an invitation to the
oslist and to a website shared by all osonos events?  what if the notes from
all of these osonos events were posted to this one site?  ...so that the W
came to denote ALL of our work IN open space ON open space?  wouldn't this
be a gem of a demonstration that we are living our practice and inviting
anyone to join us as colleagues, not just as trainees?  what if learning
open space came to mean buy the book, try it out, and find an osonos
gathering to process it with others who cared about open space?  what if
there were than many osonos's happening all around the world?  

maintaining this special label on one annual event feels an awful lot like
the preferential treatment other groups give to the keynote speaker.  often
it's quite and interesting talk, people spend a lot of energy choosing these
people and setting up a big room and podium and screens and such... but we
know they're missing something magical, because everyone is not talking with
everyone.  

how can we be sure that we're not missing something amazing because we
insist on having this annual keynote event?  and asking if there were any
other offers to host is a bit misleading, because the structure of the
process precludes most from even considering it.  I was actually thinking
about convening one, but given the invitation presentation hoopla, my plan
was to offer to do all the admin details if harrison would reserve that
camden church again.  but suzanned called me before i could call harrison.
the point is the habit/structure we have makes many things impossible to
consider, in the same way that a keynote speaker makes it hard (not
impossible, but harder) for people to connect with others who share their
passion.  we can't assume that because everyone is listening to the speaker
politely that they all care or that they don't have other, greater passions
and gifts to offer.

m

-- 
Harold Shinsato
harold at shinsato.com
http://shinsato.com
twitter: @hajush <http://twitter.com/hajush> 

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