[OSList] A Time for Questions

[Harrison Owen]

David Osborne's statement and Chris's question precipitated something in my
head. Needless to say David can and should speak for himself. However from
my relatively isolated corner of the universe (Maine) I have noticed a few
interesting suggestions that something of a shift might be in the wind.
Whether it will be sufficient to save Homo sapiens from ossification, only
time will tell.

One such suggestion in the increase of questioning. As a child of the 50's
(and yes there really were human beings walking the earth in that primal
time), my world was firmly described by answers. Everybody knew precisely
how life should be lived. There were rules to be followed, and if followed
success was assured. Of course there were deviants who were largely
marginalized and suppressed, but WE knew the Answers... the right way.

And then a funny thing called the '60s blew all that certainty away. It was
at once terrifying, refreshing, and exhilarating. And one thing was for
sure: The primacy of answers gave way to an avalanche of questions. It is in
the nature of questions to open space. Answers close it. 

With all the fresh air of openness, the forces of creativity soared to the
joy and terror of all involved. Space in all dimensions exploded, and the
tight societies of Philadelphia and New York, in which I grew up, shattered
to merge with insular rural communities, and make contact with strange
creatures on The Other Coast. Strange new world!

The 70's and early 80's possessed a rich nutrient openness. New stories, and
the answers they purported to provide, popped up like mushrooms. Some were
weird, some substantive, some technological and all of them creating as many
new questions as the answers they supposedly offered. Thrilling!

But as the 80's ended and the 90's arrived it seemed that the age of answers
were settling more than a few of the questions. Author's could write
knowingly about "New Rules"... and while there was a breath of novelty it
seemed the rules (answers) were known.

The 90's slid by with almost dream like certainty. At least that's how it
seemed to me. The Markets were up, America ruled. Some were even suggesting
that the Age of Aquarius had actually begun! I guess there were still some
questions, but none that we couldn't handle with the right Process or
Procedure. And if not today, then tomorrow. So ended the Millennium.

The New Millennium rolled in as predicted. Surprise! But in a funny way it
seemed pretty anti-climactic. To be sure there were lots of parties,
fireworks, speeches, the usual turn of the Millennia Fantasies. But at the
end of the day it was pretty much more of the same... Until a bright clear
day in September. September 11th to be exact. Maybe this was just a turning
point for those of us in the USA. But I do believe, as I listen to my
friends and colleagues from around the world -- we were all there. Doubtless
with different feelings and interpretations. But for better, for worse, for
richer, for poorer... it was a very different world!

How different, we are only just beginning to understand. And for the first
time in some long time -- the Questions vastly outnumber the available
answers. This is a Turning Point. And a wonderful one, I do believe. When we
as a species are compelled to sit in that really uncomfortable and juicy
moment created by truly profound questions, the Space is truly OPENED. I
think that is where we are at, and best of all I see lots of new faces
rising to the bait. Call them "Millennials" or whatever... but it is every
bit as exciting as the "60's" and we may or may not survive to tell the
tale. But that has always been true.

Harrison


Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Dr.
Potomac, MD 20854
USA

189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)
Camden, Maine 04843

Phone 301-365-2093
(summer)  207-763-3261

www.openspaceworld.com 
www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)
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-----Original Message-----
From: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org
[mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Chris Kloth
Sent: Saturday, August 31, 2013 8:15 PM
To: World wide Open Space Technology email list; David Osborne
Subject: Re: [OSList] Federal Reserve Employees Survey

David,

I wonder if you could share a little more about what is going on already. I
have had conversations with Fed officials in San Francisco and Cleveland
and, while they are doing some things I am very interested in and impressed
by, I have yet to see evidence of OST.

--
Shalom,

Chris Kloth
ChangeWorks of the Heartland
254 South Merkle Road
Bexley, OH 43209-1801
ph 614-239-1336
fax 614-237-2347
www.got2change.com


Quoting David Osborne <dosborne at change-fusion.com>:

> Yes Brett. Being Done.
>
> Consider looking beyond the reporting....to the fact that space has 
> been opened for this to be shared and talked about. What is in the 
> news is not always the best reflection of what is actually happening.
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> David Osborne
>
>
>
> www.change-fusion.com | dosborne at change-fusion.com | 703.939.1777 On 
> Sat, Aug 31, 2013 at 12:35 PM, Brett Barndt <barndtbrett at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> Can the OST community perhaps help here? It is a sad state of affairs 
>> in which we all have a stake. Even citizens of the world have a stake 
>> in this dysfunction owing to the interconnected nature of the global 
>> economies, our livelihoods, and well-being.
>>
>> The appointees, and congress by association, should not be permitted 
>> to let it go on this way any longer. People are dying out there with 
>> higher poverty, food insecurity, mortality, and suicide rates as a 
>> result of this situation.
>>
>>
>> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/28/federal-reserve-employees-su
>> rvey_n_3826165.html
>>
>> Discourse and dialogue are the last thing that should be stifled by 
>> culture or any other dysfunction in an institution like this one.
>>
>> OST and an open process of multi-stakeholder engagement is of course 
>> part of the solution.
>>
>> This seems like it should be well within our rights to insist upon at 
>> this moment in time. We are stakeholders. Albeit. we are 
>> non-consulted, unrepresented stakeholders in the current practice.
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>



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