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<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=548091522-16122003>In
response to two myths from Chris, on 4 December Harrison Owen
wrote:</SPAN></FONT><FONT face="Courier New" size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face="Courier New" color=red><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: red"><SPAN class=548091522-16122003><FONT
face=Arial color=#0000ff> ... </FONT></SPAN>when it comes to myths,
these are not only dismissed, but <SPAN class=SpellE>dissed</SPAN>. Worse than
a story, myth now means lie and falsehood. <SPAN class=GramE>How the world
changes.</SPAN> And of course, for enlightened people such as ourselves, we
have long since thrown off the bondage of myth. How sad. And we never really
do - throw it off, that is. We simply develop new ones, and they of course,
are understood to be The Truth, or better yet Scientific Truth. But it is
still a story, now dressed up in different clothes. We call them "Theories" -
but at the end of the day, these Theories are simply likely stories which help
us interpret our world. So our essential nature hasn't changed - we are still
story tellers whose life expectations are shaped by the stories we tell. <SPAN
class=GramE>Myth by any other name.</SPAN> What is different now is that the
formative power of these tales is somehow out of our awareness. And when the
stories are warped, distorted or partial - the world and our space in that
world is distorted and shrunk. Of course, we could tell a different story. .
.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face="Courier New" color=red size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: red"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face="Courier New" color=red size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: red">And I think that new story creation is a
major part of what happens in Open Space. But it is not so much telling a
story as being a story. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face="Courier New" color=red size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: red"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face="Courier New" color=black><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff>This has ruminated
with me for a couple of weeks and is changing my outlook on life and the
systems we have in our world. I really see<SPAN class=879370819-03122003> the
myth being played out largely unconsciously in our world now, especially
in our organizational culture.</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></FONT> </P><FONT
color=#0000ff><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff><SPAN class=548091522-16122003>I
</SPAN>recently attended training in becoming a Conscious Open Space
Organization. Last night while mowing the lawns I thought about an exercise we
did. Our facilitator<SPAN class=548091522-16122003>,</SPAN> Helen
Patterson<SPAN class=548091522-16122003>,</SPAN> asked us to draw a diagram of
how the work gets done in our organization. My picture was of a whiskey
still<SPAN class=548091522-16122003>. T</SPAN>he bulk raw material was
charred, mashed, and distilled into <SPAN
class=548091522-16122003>one</SPAN> drop of liquid. Not much fun for the
mash who gets completely pulverized, boiled and vaporized.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003>Today's myth, to me, is we have t</SPAN>he state, the
omnipotent being, <SPAN class=548091522-16122003>creating systems and
laws that are great at "distilling" ideas and values into laws and
policy.</SPAN><SPAN class=548091522-16122003> So often I've taken on a
task that I was excited and passionate about only to have the spirit
completely wrung out of it by the <SPAN
class=879370819-03122003>organizational structure,</SPAN> w<SPAN
class=879370819-03122003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003>here it became blatantly </SPAN>obvious<SPAN
class=548091522-16122003> to me that </SPAN>I was serving a system and not the
other way round.</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN class=548091522-16122003><SPAN
class=879370819-03122003></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT
face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=879370819-03122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff>Our modern myth also
has a tendency to take something down to its smallest essence with
the belief that by knowledge we will somehow
<STRONG>understand </STRONG>or<STRONG> explain</STRONG> mechanistically
the present experience.</FONT></SPAN></o:p></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff> I reached the
limits of this thinking when I had a bout of illness a few years
ago. I was analyzing my life like it was an archaeological dig.
Everything got dredged up, categorized, labeled bagged and stored on the
appropriate shelf. After a while I tried the same with my ever
present pain. It was like staring into a black hole trying to come up
with new ways of saying how black it was; of course this only made it blacker.
<SPAN class=879370819-03122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff>In short, "I have come
to a desert area in my life where words no longer suffice and only experience
counts" (Thomas
Merton)</FONT></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=879370819-03122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff> </FONT></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN class=879370819-03122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN class=548091522-16122003>My
feeling is to be careful not to do this with Open Space; to nail it
to a point where it becomes formulaic and mechanistic.
</SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
class=879370819-03122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN class=548091522-16122003>And
this is what I absolutely love about Open Space. It allows space for
spirit, passion and life. For me it is about <STRONG>being</STRONG> open
space, living the principles and law, and giving me a process as life
comes out of me and at me. And hopefully therein beginning a new myth to live
by; be prepared to be
surprised!</SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=879370819-03122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff></FONT></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=879370819-03122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff>Peace to you all
</FONT></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=879370819-03122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff></FONT></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=879370819-03122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></SPAN><FONT
color=#0000ff><FONT face=Arial><SPAN class=879370819-03122003>Mike
Copeland</SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff></FONT> </DIV></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></FONT>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face="Courier New" color=black><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face="Courier New" color=black><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003></SPAN><SPAN class=548091522-16122003><FONT
face=Arial color=#0000ff>I</FONT></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face="Courier New" color=black><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff></FONT></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face="Courier New" color=black><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff>.</FONT></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Arial color=black><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face="Courier New" color=black><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff>.</FONT></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face="Courier New" color=black><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff></FONT></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face="Courier New" color=black><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff> , whatever
happens is the only thing that could have. <SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff>For
me explanations no longer suffice and only experience
counts.</FONT></SPAN></o:p></SPAN> </FONT> </SPAN></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face="Courier New" color=black><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face="Courier New" color=black><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p><SPAN
class=548091522-16122003></SPAN> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face="Courier New" color=black size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>*
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