But I hate the mean-spiritedness to the point of viciousness that spews forth from the mouths of those who cannot seem to get enough of the opportunities afforded for self-expression for blame, batter and blasphemy.
If you have been reading my Anastasia The Storyteller blog articles recently, you know that I am taking a bit of a time out these days, focusing my attention on healing from a recent cornea transplant surgery, reflecting and contemplating. Along with my personal healing I am deeply immersed in examining, along with the New Horizons Board of Directors, what we have gained by last year's Coffee House Conversations programs.
Additionally, I am also now profoundly involved in regular, ongoing consultations, especially with people of the Frederick, Maryland local community, specifically key leaders. Gathering viewpoints, seeking options for surmounting obstacles observed, as New Horizons assesses last year’s gains and losses.
But talking is not enough. Somewhere, possibly not yet obvious, are clues and indicators of what this generally wonderful, extraordinary, yet in some ways quite ordinary community will require to grow beyond its ordinariness still is puzzling.
Clearly we can see, thus far, that “events” are not enough, town meetings are not enough, small groups of like-minded individuals having coffee or the like or in committee meetings, so far, have shown themselves to have possibilities for initiating advancement, but are, also, still not enough.
As I write my Anastasia The Storyteller blog articles, many in support of the physical healing of my formerly diseased eye, what I am coming to “see” and believe is that it is those things that are not being spoken – and – possibly not even seen that hold the key to showing us where we must go next to move from “ordinary” to extraordinary” in our local community.
If we can find these hidden treasures and bring them into the light of day, we might have a fighting chance to lift ourselves, locally, and even spread our good news way beyond.
Possibly you can get a jump start on this search we are conducting by listening to the podcast of our Possible Society In Motion Radio Show titled “Talking Is Just Not Enough.”
Hopefully our discussion will inspire you to join Jack Slattery, my co-host, and myself on future shows, especially our relatively open-ended Coffee House Conversations by Conference Call forum. Here we can truly begin to get into problem solving options where “Talking Is Just Not Enough,” but learning the art of meaningful dialogue might make a difference.
One of the things New Horizons recent assessment is showing us is that we haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of developing the art of “Dialogue versus Debate” in our local community on essential issues.
New Horizons is still learning this art and we have been at it, systematically, for over forty years! We hope you will join us as we strive to develop the art.
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