Ruminating a bit about time.... I enjoy time, as in timing in a
dance, having lots of time, plenty of time, and planes/trains/buses
being on time. Time is over-important in our culture, but a useful
tool. (Like money. My favorite thing about not having much money,
which is our current state, is that I stay home more, and have more
*time to spend with friends. Less *time going places to buy things is
a blessing.) money, time, spend, hmmmm... I was a math major for a
few years, and I like numbers, time and money and measures, all
numbers....
I do like the emphasis on "syn" = with. Being with, being connected,
we are all one. (Have you all enjoyed the dancing wombat? Maybe I've
mentioned it here before? If senility gets me (moreso than now!),
maybe I'll just watch it over and over again: http://
www.globalcommunity.org/flash/wombat.shtml )
I agree that being with, living with, time with, are all natural,
and the "woowoo" and being surprised means that we are mostly out of
"sync" - not knowing we are all part of one, with an energy flow that
is there to rest upon (someone is watching over me). So we re-member,
and notice that we are in-sync, in flow. (Harrison, if everyone knew
how simple and natural open space is, you probably wouldn't have sold
any books about it!)
Back to time and schedules. I heard a talk last year by John
McKnight, about Asset Based Community Development, and the thing that
was most useful to me, since I'd read a few of his books and had been
to ABCD training, was his comment about respecting the need for some
organizations to run like machines, like clockwork. The example was
public transportation. He didn't want the airline pilots or
mechanics, or bus drivers, to meet in open space each morning and
create a new plan for the day.... at least not on their work days!
MBTI, J-P, P's love open space?
Diane
On May 28, 2006, at 10:26 PM, Harrison Owen wrote:
I have to make a confession. The word “synchronicity” has always
bugged me. Comes from the Greek “syn” “chronos” (literally – with
time, or same time). It is time and the clocks that get me. As if
clocks/time makes that much difference. And in contemporary usage,
synchronicity gets an over plus of being something weird, magical,
or psychic. Now -- who am I to question things “magical, weird, and
psychic?” I have had some people suggest that all three of those
things could be my middle name. But still they make me very
uncomfortable.
The reason is that most of the things that people talk about under
the heading of synchronicity (and then go WOOWOO!) seem to me to be
very natural, rather what you would expect – especially if you are
in the real flow of things, and acutely aware of that flow. So when
Chris talks about Seagulls sitting on the window sill, laughing at
the Closing Circle, my reaction is – What would you expect, Chris?
And Tree, the fact that you felt irresistibly called to let dinner
in the door sounds pretty reasonable to me. And Phelim, if you
really insist in seeing Butterflies and Bumble Bees spread across
the Press, that’s OK – but I wouldn’t say it too loudly. J
There is another word which for me is much more comfortable – and
takes me to the same, or better, places than Synchronicity. It is
“Symbiosis,” “Symbiotic” – or I suppose “Symbiosity”. Still Greek,
but with a twist. “Sym” (with)
“Bios” (life) – with life – or better yet, “Living Together.” The
thought is that when life flows together, all the pieces fit – even
the ones that seem a little strange. For me, this is an everyday
story, especially when our awareness is turned up to HIGH (as in
OS). And the story suffers when we try to re-write it according to
our notion of what we think SHOULD be happening. It gets even worse
when we try to operationalize our understanding of what SHOULD be
happening in order to bring it under control and make sure that it
happens the way we expect it to. That’s when we really get in trouble!
So Chris – Of course Gulls will laugh at the Closing Circle. First
of all they are Gulls. Secondly, theClosing Circle can get pretty
funny. And Tree – What is so strange about letting Dinner in the
door? And when it comes to the “struggling author” – how could he
NOT find support and assistance in The Evolutionary Salon? I
suspect that the only way he could avoid all such help would be if
it were not truly The Evolutionary Salon – or that he had his
blinders on and could only accept help in some pre-defined package.
So what else is new? Just another day in the Open Space of life
here on Planet Earth, just flowing together- Symbiotically.
Harrison
Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, Maryland 20854
Phone 301-365-2093
Skype hhowen
Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com
Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
Personal website www.ho-image.com
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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of
Chris Corrigan
Sent: Sunday, May 28, 2006 5:42 PM
To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu
Subject: Re: open space and synchronicity
Well...yes to all...and on the subject of synchronicity, the thing
that often seems to happen for me is that birds turn up.
Eagles in the middle of the city, sparrows finding their way into
locked meeting rooms. Gulls sitting on the window sill and
laughing at every comment in a closing circle.
I don't talk about them much, but I come to rely on my avian
familiars in my work....
:-)
Chris
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