Winds to play in our skies
The deep structure of a conversation is usually formed by the shapes of the space in which they occur—both the physical immediate space, say the coffee house, and the context of the question which incites us together. The shapes of the space are also formed by the players participating and each one’s individual history and history or no history with the other players; the colors on the walls and on the cars driving past; the smells; shadows; the important animal and plant life of the place; the things we think are peripherals; the powers and things we cannot control such as numberless people in government and corporate offices; and especially the flows among all these things.
So what do we do once we discern the deep structures for our conversation? No one of us can keep all these things in mind or in the back of our mind. No one of us can remember to look in all these directions, call all these winds in to play in our skies.
We can do one small thing, and then another, keeping this data warm and our space alive. We can perceive this deep structure and enliven stretches of it. Well made, the conversation will feel right, the players will be safe, and life will feel more at home in all this context.
:- Doug.
