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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Oh and I see that Chris has been elevated to a new and higher status </span><span style='font-family:Wingdings;color:#1F497D'>J</span><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>ho<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Harrison Owen<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>7808 River Falls Dr.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Potomac, MD 20854<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>USA<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Camden, Maine 04843<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Phone 301-365-2093<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>(summer) 207-763-3261<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><a href="www.openspaceworld.com%20"><span style='color:blue'>www.openspaceworld.com</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><a href="www.ho-image.com%20"><span style='color:blue'>www.ho-image.com</span></a> (Personal Website)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Consolas;color:#1F497D'>To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of OSLIST Go to:<a href="http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org"><span style='color:blue'>http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org [mailto:oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Harrison Owen<br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, August 14, 2013 10:06 AM<br><b>To:</b> 'World wide Open Space Technology email list'<br><b>Subject:</b> [OSList] Opening space in times of crisis<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Chris Weaver’s discussion of the Hot-Pot in North Carolina occasioned my question about why he (they) was delaying. Under the heading of “Strike when the iron is hot” – I have always found that sooner is better. I learned this for the first time in South Africa in the ‘90’s. I happened to be in Capetown several weeks after Mandela was released from prison. The situation was tense to say the least, and my hostess had heard about, but never seen an Open Space. The decision was made on a Sunday, the participant list was overbooked by Wednesday, and on Saturday 100+ folks showed up. I have written about this gathering before, but suffice it to say that it was deep! I think it is fair to say that we had all of the “essential preconditions for Open Space” (Big issue, complexity, conflict etc) and absolutely none of the essentials of pre-work. Yes, we did have a space (my hostess ran a hotel), magic markers, masking tape, and flip charts. And one Open Space led onto multiple others, most of which were facilitated by somebody other than me. As Lyndon Johnson might have said, “Never sacrifice the possible for the perfect.” And in this case, the possible was perfect – at least I couldn’t imagine how it might have been improved. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>On a broader level, I think Chris has pointed to something really important when he said, “What I find interesting in the question is an underlying idea that <i>perhaps the best "pre-work" for Open Space is Open Space. </i>I am open to this idea and curious about it. It reminds me of a tenet I hold about education in general, which is that education is not preparation for life; education <i><u>is</u></i> life.<i> </i>(I am also reminded, obliquely, of a quote I recall, I think by Jean Paul Sartre: <i>That which prevents you from doing your work has </i>become<i> your work.</i>)” <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I never quite thought of it this way, but in retrospect, I really couldn’t have put it better, and certainly it matches my experience. I learned early on never try and “sell” Open Space. What happens during the gathering and as a result is typically so far outside “normal” expectations that nobody would believe you. Other than saying “be prepared to be surprised” nothing I could ever say or think of could lay the groundwork for a positive experience. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>But afterwards – THERE is a golden teaching learning moment. And in terms that I am sure Christ will understand and appreciate – that moment is quintessential Experiential Learning. There is no argument, nor need for argument. Rather everything shifts into a reflective mode. The questions are opened... What happened? What have we learned about myself, ourselves and the human condition? Where do we go from here? Do we want to do that again? Do we want to do it all the time? Would that be a rich life? Is this just life? Rich indeed.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Harrison<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Harrison Owen<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>7808 River Falls Dr.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Potomac, MD 20854<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>USA<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Camden, Maine 04843<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Phone 301-365-2093<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>(summer) 207-763-3261<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="www.openspaceworld.com%20">www.openspaceworld.com</a> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="www.ho-image.com%20">www.ho-image.com</a> (Personal Website)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Consolas'>To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of OSLIST Go to:</span><a href="http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org"><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Consolas'>http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org</span></a><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Consolas'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>