[OSList] A Preface

Wed Mar 16 22:30:07 PDT 2022

I think your preface covers a lot of good ground, Harrison.

I thought this was classic:  "I am a storyteller.  To be truthful..."  You
tell both sides like nobody I've ever known!  Not sure everyone will read
it as humorously as I did.  Maybe it wasn't even intended that way.  But I
think you could leave out "To be truthful."  Just be truthful, without
narrating it, without taking that step back to observe, only four words
into the piece.

Where Birgitt picks out "Spirit disappears," I think she's on to
something.  Might make that, "When Spirit eludes me/us..." or "When Spirit
escapes..."  I guess I like the latter.  It fits better with Ending.  And
it sparks us to some wondering about where it might go "to" in those
moments when it seems to disappear.

A couple other small word things... "It is true, multiple words..." didn't
capture how many words... maybe "While many words are spoken..." or "A
multitude of words might be spoken..."  And in the opening of the next
paragraph, I'd say "This "strange event"..." rather than "The..."

I appreciate Birgitt's thought about ending with the "warning" paragraph,
and "be careful."  It works both ways, but differently.  I think it's a
stronger ending than what you have, but I do think it works best where you
have it.  Which leads me to wonder what I might be missing in the last
line(s).

Ending as you have, you invite people to enjoy and share the story, but I
think you could go further.  You could invite readers to  "Please enjoy,
make it your own, and pass it along.  We are all storytellers now, [always
have been and always will be].  Good luck!  And keep your Spirit up!
[That's what this book is about.]"  Or something like that, something in
the spirit of "anyone with a good head and good heart."  The funny thing
about your story is that it doesn't go on because people share it... it
goes on because people step up and share their own story, inside of or
extending from, yours.

When you're satisfied that it's done, would it be appropriate to post this
same story (tweaked for reference to "this book") atop all of your writings
at openspaceworld.com?

Thanks,

Michael

--

Michael Herman
Michael Herman Associates
312-280-7838 (mobile)

MichaelHerman.com
OpenSpaceWorld.org

On Wed, Mar 16, 2022 at 7:06 PM Birgitt Williams via OSList <
oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:

> Dear Harrison,
> as always, your writing is inspiring. You asked for feedback and here is
> what would make this preface writing work better for me. It is all of
> course fine as it is. However, if you were to take the beginning sentences
> and put them at the end in exactly the order that you wrote them. This
> would leave the ending of the preface with the words 'be careful', a phrase
> sure to get the pages turning. Or is it only me that would turn those pages
> when admonished to 'be careful' as it would peak my curiosity. Can you
> picture a strengthening of your message? the sentences I am referring to
> are:
>
> "I am a story teller.
>
>
>
> To be truthful, I was trained as an academician, but I came to a startling
> recognition: *Nobody was ever moved by facts, figures, and footnotes.  A
> good story, however, will move Spirit and minds.*
>
>
>
> I should warn you of what you already know: Storytellers have a very light
> regard for the truth, as in “The facts of the matter,” and “What actually
> happened”  However, if the story is a good one, The Truth will pop out,
> which is what makes a story good  – one that you will remember ... and may
> change your life. Be careful."
>
>
> aI don't believe Spirit disappears. it is constant. Our sense of Spirit
> disappearing can be strong, especially when there are endings. I love when
> you say that endings are also the work of Spirit. I would prefer that the
> words about Spirit disappearing are changed. The constant of Spirit, life
> force, present always, accessible always, is essential for Open Space
> Technology to work.
>
>
> with love and blessings,
>
> Birgitt
>
>
>
> [image: Picture]
>
>
> *Birgitt Williams*
> *Senior consultant-author-mentor to leaders and consultants  *
> *Specialist in organizational and systemic transformation, leadership
> development, and the power of nourishing  a culture of leadership.*
> www.dalarinternational.com
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>
> On Tue, Mar 15, 2022 at 4:37 PM Harrison Owen SR via OSList <
> oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:
>
>>
>> Audrey Hepburn, a Young Chinese lady (that really is her name!)  tells me
>> that she is going to publish some of my books in Chinese and, would I write
>> a preface? I said I would try, but always following my fundamental dictum
>> (Never work harder than you have to) I suggested doing one for all. It is a
>> preface and you could stick it anywhere... maybe. Easy said -- but I never
>> quite figured how hard it might be to summarize 60 years of thinking into a
>> page and a bit. I have no idea if I have succeeded, But you might -- and if
>> not let me know, and I"ll try to do better.
>>
>> Harrison
>> --
>> 7808 River Falls Drive
>> Potomac, MD 20854 USA
>> 301-365-2093
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