Hi Suzanne, I'm just coming back and catching up after almost 3 months of absence. I am so sorry to hear the news about your father's health. At the same time I hear in your words how more loving and happy your relationship is with him now. This is not only a wonderful evolution but it is surely a real comfort in times like this.
It is heartwarming to see how the simple life principles of OS bring light in our lives in a variety of ways. Your testimony is a valuable contribution to our OS community. I look forward to a voice to voice encounter when the time is right for you. I will in the meantime hold you very close to my heart. A friend, Diane ________________________________ From: Suzanne Daigle <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Thu, November 25, 2010 7:09:26 AM Subject: [OSLIST] Thanksgiving Day, Family and Science A special Thanksgiving post to my Open Space Family, On August 25th, I posted to the Open Space community asking if others had worked with scientists. https://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#search/scientist/12a43584cdab69f7 Many in the OS community responded: Stella, Spark, Peggy, Diane, Andrew, Robyn, and Harrison. On October 24-25, a group of 40 national scientists and friends of scientists gathered at The Elliot School for International Affairs, part of the George Washington University to discuss “Shifting the Effort-Reward Ratio in Science”. The sponsor, host and now a dear friend was Kennan Salinero, President of Yámana Science and Technology. The weeks and months (and for the sponsor, the years) preceding this event were a heroic journey (à la Joseph Campbell) in my estimation. Not easy to attract a group of scientists whose very survival and “reputation” depends on a system and structure that is defined by words like publish, document, prove, present, funding, panelists, reputation, data, methodology, objectives, etc. The two-day event began with a panelist series of presentations on the first morning, Harrison Owen as guest speak at lunch, and then 1.5 days in Open Space. See wonderful video that Harrison referred to in his OS posting a few days ago. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6855090/11.09.10%20Harrison%20Owen%20v3%20Medium.mov All I can about Harrison’s talk is that the video cannot capture the spirit it ignited in the folks. What a gift! This Washington event happened a month ago, and for those who know me, my habit would have been to share this experience with you almost immediately, as a way of thanking everyone who offered support and ideas and also to gift back the essence and learning as we so often do in our extraordinary community. On the day I got back from Washington however, I received a middle of the night emergency call from my dad telling me that he was being admitted to the hospital. I have written about my father before, how much of a fan he has become of Open Space (reading the Italian translation of it), this radiologist doctor who is a scientist himself, who reveres all that is “evidence-based, provable, data, facts, etc.”, who at the age of 80 has kept his mind active reading quantum physics and all that is science. I have talked about how our father-daughter relationship these past few years has blossomed because of Open Space inviting stories, feelings and a closeness that is somehow all connected to “living in the moment” and learning to “just be ourselves” which happens to people a lot when they experience the energy and joy of coming home in Open Space. Well the master plan of life is calling my dad to another place. These have been difficult days and weeks and yet, in the midst of my sadness as I spend all of my time with him and my mom, Open Space has become the friend, the community, the wise one who is always there for me in spirit and in philosophy. It feels strange and confusing for me to share something this personal and private with you now and yet on this Thanksgiving Day, it feels right to do so. Interesting that Juan Walker posted this topic of OS and Scientific Method: Juan, who with a wonderful team of people will be hosting us in Chile next year; Juan, whose country galvanized the world in a life-death mining event that captured our heart and soul. So as I struggle still with so many emotions including my unsorted thoughts and feelings about our Washington Science event of a month ago, all I can say reflecting back is that Open Space is above all a “human and living experience” that brings out the best of what’s inside an individual (head and heart) and in that, scientists are no different. As I reflect on all that transpired in Washington, remembering people in deep conversations sitting around tables on the balcony of the seventh floor overlooking the Washington monument and the Capitol Building, I just know that something important and special happened then…something that will lead to something, that meant something and that was beautiful in itself. As one very cerebral and intellectual scientist said during morning news which people say often, you can’t know Open Space until you experience it. “I just couldn’t understand it at all when people described it to me.” Perhaps later, I will process and summarize all that happened a month ago. In the meantime, for those who are interested in getting a feel of what transpired, you can visit this website which contains a little bit of everything. Just know that as was the case with Harrison’s video, it will only be part of the story. http://unsummit2010.yamanascience.org/ And then finally, thank you Andrew Rixon for being one who offered help and resources during the planning! I highly recommend your paper to others. http://www.babelfishgroup.com/files/Measuring%20a%20successful%20meeting.pdf It speaks of scientists, of Open Space and a “passion network”. Somehow I think I’ll be coming back to what he described, the before and after of Open Space, how it ignites passion and how people connect in the common passion of something they care deeply about. In closing, Happy Thanksgiving Day and as many of you sit around the table in circle being with family and friends, may it overflow with stories, love and life making it a special Open Space day for all! Suzanne -- Suzanne Daigle NuFocus Strategic Group 7159 Victoria Circle University Park, FL 34201 FL 941-359-8877; CT 203-722-2009 www.nufocusgroup.com [email protected] twitter @suzannedaigle * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected]: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected]: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
