<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style>
<![endif]--><o:SmartTagType
namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PersonName"/>
<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Lucida Grande";
panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Geneva;
panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Hi Paul, <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>My colleague, K. Louise Vincent, and I have
had conversations about the importance of touch in creating non-sexual intimacy
(as found in deep friendship, family relationships, and profound collaborations)
and its general absence from our culture. We have dubbed this type of
contact cherishing. Thanks for sharing your insight. It adds one
more reason to why touch, and changing our relationship to it, is so important to
healing and creating sustainable culture.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Love, <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Wendy <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>
<hr size=3 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1>
</span></font></div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> <st1:PersonName
w:st="on">OSLIST</st1:PersonName> [mailto:<st1:PersonName w:st="on">OSLIST</st1:PersonName>@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>EVERETT813@aol.com<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> March 2, 2006 1:25 PM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> <st1:PersonName w:st="on">OSLIST</st1:PersonName>@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Re: A Quiet Time</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face="Lucida Grande"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Grande";color:black'>Dear Fellow
'Spaceniks':<br>
<br>
Well, this is going to be weird, be warned.<br>
<br>
Wendy wrote:</span></font><font size=2 color=black face=Geneva
FAMILY=SANSSERIF><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Geneva;color:black'><br>
<br>
</span></font><font color=black face="Lucida Grande"><span style='font-family:
"Lucida Grande";color:black'>"This principle is an opportunity to invite
the presence of each soul<br>
gathered--to invite them as fully as possible into the present moment."<br>
<br>
This provoked a remembrance in me about what I felt at the time was a profound
insight. It may or may not be to others. It has to do with physics
and light. And it has to do with being "fully as possible in the present
moment" with others. <i><span style='font-style:italic'>When</span></i>
is that, anyway?<br>
<br>
When we look out at any celestial object, sun, moon, 'star', etc., we are
seeing <b><i><span style='font-weight:bold;font-style:italic'>old </span></i></b>light,
that is, the light of the <i><span style='font-style:italic'>past moment</span></i>
in time in our <i><span style='font-style:italic'>present moment in time</span></i>.
Thus, from the point of view of us, the viewer, we are seeing the past.
As a silly example, the light we get from the sun is about 9 minutes old, as I
recall. We don't know if nine minutes from now, or in the next second for
that matter, the sun won't 'wink out'. Fortunately, so far, it hasn't.<br>
<br>
When we we see an impossible-to-fathom galaxy far, far away, we don't really
know that it exists in our <i><span style='font-style:italic'>now</span></i>
because it took millions of our years for the light from that galaxy to reach
us. Millions of years of linear time have passed for that galaxy.
It is really, really "old" light. It could have entered a black
hole meanwhile and right now, in this present moment, it might be disappearing.
We simply don't know because the light hasn't gotten here yet to tell us of its
changed circumstances.<br>
<br>
So, what does this have to do with being here, now, in this present moment.
Well, when I am standing in front of another person in a room, even just three
feet apart, the light coming from that person is in an infinitesimally small
bit of time in the past. Scotty could beam that person up and I would
realize they were gone a nanosecond later (more silliness). Thus, in
physics and light, we are never in the EXACT same time as the person we are
talking to<i><span style='font-style:italic'> as long as we are not touching.</span></i>
Each is in the infinitesimally small past of the other. <br>
<br>
However, the insight was that <i><span style='font-style:italic'>when we are
touching, and only then, are we able to be fully present in the exact same
time-moment with another human being.</span></i> Thus, hugging is so
rewarding on multiple levels. We are truly 'together' at that moment.
Holding hands is another example, as is making love, giving a massage, etc.
Fully present, fully alive, fully functioning in the same physical time/space
moment. Thus, <i><span style='font-style:italic'>touching is
transformative.</span></i> It is the moment when healing of all kinds can
occur (doesn't necessarily happen, but can occur). It was mind blowing
for me at the time and still is. Because the present moment is the only
time transformation can occur. Whew!!<br>
<br>
Well, what might this have to do with open space sessions? I've often
wondered what the energy flow might be if we were connected by holding hands,
touching bare feet, etc., during a discussion session (some would be rendered
speechless because they can't wave their hands---that thought occurred to me,
lol) and whether or not the psychic energy bouncing around <i><span
style='font-style:italic'>in the exact same space/time continuum</span></i>
might not produce insights and aha's of an order of magnitude 'greater' than
now is achieved. <br>
<br>
I warned you this was going to be weird. :)<br>
<br>
Paul Everett<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</span></font><font face=Arial FAMILY=SANSSERIF><span style='font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>* *
========================================================== <st1:PersonName
w:st="on">OSLIST</st1:PersonName>@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and <st1:PersonName w:st="on">OSLIST</st1:PersonName>
FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>
*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu:
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist