Ash: Got a half hour of audio of folks giving their thoughts to your inquiry...Larry Peterson, Peggy Holman, Viv McWaters, Brian Bainbridge, Alan Stewart, Michael Cook, Aine Corrigan-Frost, Elwin Guild, Phelim McDermott, Lisa Heft, Jeff Aitken, John Engle and possibly others I have forgotten for the moment, all weighed in.
All are welcome to listen at: http://chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot/?p=1431 It's a 22Mb mp3 file there just so you know. Chris On Thu, Jul 24, 2008 at 6:39 PM, ashley cooper <mail.easilyama...@gmail.com>wrote: > Thank you, Harrison, Chris and Michael, for pondering my question. > > I appreciate that you've reinforced for me the purpose of grounding in the > present moment... really being centered in the invitation to go deeper into > the present moment... what IS happening, what is here before us now... to > satiate in the experience that has emerged and become enlivened by what has > unfolded. It's sacred, it's happened, it's here with us as a part of our > being now because we've experienced it. We *get* to experience what is > happening now. We don't have to worry about all the other what-ifs. Thank > you for reminding me and reinforcing for me the importance of constantly > inviting into that essential starting place of the present moment... and for > focusing my attention on how slippery the slope of spending energy and > attention on the alternative possibilities can be. I look forward to holding > that more attentively within my own awareness. > > ... and I'll keep pondering if there are words that I can say that echo > that "whatever..." intention for me with more clarity. ;) > > For me, I do experience the principles as an invitation. We are invited to > be with one another in this way for this shared experience. Fortunately > there is the Law, granting everyone the freedom to make their own conscious > choices about their involvement, to accept or reject the principle's > invitations. The principles help me shape the space. I've taken the time to > set up tea and coffee because I think "you" might enjoy them. I like for the > room to feel inviting and easily engagable because I want you to feel > welcomed and feel free to engage. I also am taking the time to shape the > space a little by sharing with you these principles and interesting little > critters because I'd like for you to trust your inner knowing and be present > with the life that is emerging here. My interest in pondering the language > is simply an effort to make my invitations as clear as possible... > > Again, thanks so much for helping me reflect into this with you! > > And I'd love to know of other "facts of life" sayings that exist in other > languages... including english. > > Warmly, > Ashley > in sunny Seattle > > > On Thu, Jul 24, 2008 at 1:10 PM, Michael M Pannwitz <mmpa...@boscop.org> > wrote: > >> Dear Ashley, >> to me the principles are perhaps principles and certainly not rules or as >> Harrison says, prescriptions. Thus, as far as I am concerned there is no >> "set of rules". Of course, the Law is different, it really is a Law and I >> wish I had a surefire way of enforcing it!! So, maybe its not a Law even but >> just an invitation. >> But what often are called "the principles" are not really principles and >> perhaps also not invitations. So what on earth are they. I have taken to >> call them "facts of life". The way I ran into that "category" is by >> discovering (or being told about) folk sayings for them, espcially for >> "Whatever..". Having been cast into "sayings" by our ancestors suggests that >> they are in fact "facts of life". >> In German there are probably dozens of "sayings" for "Whatever...", >> different ones for different regions and dialects. The best known by all >> Germans is >> "Wenn das Wörtchen Wenn nicht wär, wär mein Vater Millionär" >> these sayings are often in Rhyme form. >> In English it would be something like >> "If it were not for the little word if, my father would be a millionär" >> A more direct and juicy variety is >> "Wenn der Hund nicht geschissen hätte, hätte er den Has gefangen" >> In English something like >> "If the dog had not stopped to take a shit he would have caught the >> rabbit" (Actually, I am not sure its German because Jo Töpfer taught me that >> one and he is heavily infected with Russian). >> A more philosophical version, maybe one of the Germans in SF can try a >> translation is >> "Der Wenn und der Hät, hän no nie etwas gehäbt". >> >> As far as learning from this or that I myself find myself learning from >> what actually happened. Reflecting on what did not happen or should have >> happened or could have happened invariably leads me into speculations. That >> does not enrich me so I imagine its not conducive to my learning and I think >> I have pretty much given up on it...but I do remember what fun we had as >> kids imagining winning in the lottery and what we would do with all that >> money... >> >> Greetings from Berlin >> mmp >> >> Harrison Owen wrote: >> >>> Ashley - Unfortunately I am not at OSONOS (wish I were) and I like what >>> you >>> wrote. Your thoughts and musings are all to the point, but I am not sure >>> that rephrasing the principle will get you where you want to go. I grant >>> you >>> that the words could have been more eloquent, to say nothing of >>> grammatical, >>> but that is just sort of how they happened. You know - "Whatever >>> happened. . >>> ." But the real point, so far as I am concerned, is that this principle >>> (as >>> indeed all of them) is descriptive, not prescriptive. There is no >>> "should" >>> present or implied - just an observation of present reality. At least >>> that >>> is the way it seemed at the time. Where one goes from there is an open >>> question, and a rich one. Hopes and expectations are great, and searching >>> for alternative possibilities is obviously a key element of our adaptive >>> behavior which lies at the root of our continuing evolution as a person >>> and >>> as a people. But unless all that starts from a clear point of grounding >>> in >>> the present moment, it seems to me that we can quickly lose our way. It >>> is >>> also true that were we to become so infatuated with what "might" take >>> place; >>> we may well miss the opportune richness of the moment. So for me it is >>> all >>> about a starting place, an invitation to be present. It is also an >>> invitation to go deeper into this present moment. For me that has always >>> been the jump off place for truly amazing journeys. >>> >>> Harrison >>> >>> >>> Harrison Owen >>> >>> 7808 River Falls Drive >>> >>> Potomac, Maryland 20854 >>> >>> Phone 301-365-2093 >>> >>> Skype hhowen >>> >>> Open Space Training <http://www.openspaceworld.com/> >>> www.openspaceworld.com >>> >>> >>> Open Space Institute <http://www.openspaceworld.org/> >>> www.openspaceworld.org >>> >>> Personal website <http://www.ho-image.com/> www.ho-image.com >>> OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives >>> Visit: <http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html> >>> >>> www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html >>> >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of ashley >>> cooper >>> Sent: Thursday, July 24, 2008 12:29 PM >>> To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu >>> Subject: Whatever happens.... >>> >>> >>> Hello friends around the world, >>> >>> Feeling those gathered in San Francisco, swimming in the hearty open >>> space >>> soup, I find a myself pondering a topic I would host if I were there... a >>> topic I'd love to have a conversation around. >>> I'm curious about the wording of the principle, "what ever happens is the >>> only thing that could have". I know John Engle brought this question up >>> in >>> the past http://www.openspaceworld.org/news/2007/05/11/whatever-happens/and >>> I'm still curious about it. >>> >>> I find that people sometimes use it as a block to reflection, a reason to >>> not look back and learn from what didn't happen because "whatever happens >>> is >>> the only thing that could have." Yes, and... >>> I love the principle for the acceptance that it invites. And I struggle >>> with >>> it because there is a sense of finality that it also invites (if you want >>> to >>> let yourself go there). We did what we did and that's, that. Which is >>> true... And... >>> >>> I appreciate how in Haiti they are playing with What Happens is what >>> happens >>> - learn and move forward. I like the learn and keep moving part. >>> >>> Are there other ways that people phrase this principle? How do you invite >>> the spirit of acceptance and invitations to be with what is alive and >>> happening in the moment, while also inviting reflection and learning from >>> what has and has not emerged? >>> >>> If anyone at WOSonOS is reading this and you find this conversation >>> springing up in your face to face time, please do share your harvest with >>> us. I'm contemplating posting a skype session tomorrow morning on this >>> topic... and I've not yet been able to commit myself to being inside at >>> the >>> computer tomorrow morning!! >>> >>> Alive and grateful, >>> Ashley >>> >>> * * ========================================================== >>> osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To >>> subscribe, >>> unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of >>> osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: >>> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about >>> OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: >>> http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist >>> >>> * >>> * >>> ========================================================== >>> osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu >>> ------------------------------ >>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, >>> view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: >>> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html >>> >>> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: >>> http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist >>> >>> >> * >> * >> ========================================================== >> >> osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu >> ------------------------------ >> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, >> view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: >> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html >> >> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: >> http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist >> > > > > * * ========================================================== > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To > subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about > OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist -- CHRIS CORRIGAN Facilitation - Training - Process Design Open Space Technology Weblog: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot Site: http://www.chriscorrigan.com Principal, Harvest Moon Consultants, Ltd. http://www.harvestmoonconsultants.com * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist