[OSList] A Time for Questions

Sun Sep 1 17:04:15 PDT 2013

A wonderful description Harrison.

Here's to the questions and the space they open.

David

--

David Osborne

www.change-fusion.com | dosborne at change-fusion.com | 703.939.1777
On Sun, Sep 1, 2013 at 6:59 PM, Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net> wrote:

> 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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