FootprintsintheWind.com

The object of my study is How we might make conversations more wonderful.

:- Doug.

In the name of the crying together. . . .

:- Doug.

The all there is is percolating through me.

:- Doug.

I have spent one of my careers coming up with words to say something; now I need to leave that behind and think up new somethings.

:- Doug.

Survey people found conversing to see what kind of conversation they are having, and their rating of it on a wonderfulness scale.

The wonderfulness scale could go from Get me out of here to Yawning to Wonderful to This is excruciating but I want to stay and help to Ecstatic.

:- Doug.

We are becoming architects of conversation.

:- Doug.

Would love to go further; this far is good.

:- Doug.

Could we develop a checklist of three or five questions to map each conversation before we set off? Perhaps a check-in for pressing joys or pains that keep us out of this conversation. Perhaps a market place of queries for this conversation. Perhaps a till later place.

:- Doug.

Might we design our conversation before we have the conversation? What are the patterns of this conversation? What would make it productive, beautiful, profound, whatever words we choose for our particular qwoan this time?

For instance, what subjects will we touch? How do we want to leave this conversation? What would make it satisfying for us both and all?

Can we be that deliberate, that open, about what we want? It is worth the experiment.

:- Doug.

I am thinking that the task is refining.

:- Doug.

How shall we design this conversation?

:- Doug.

To do human better
Do conversation better

:- Doug.

Progress requires surprise!

:- Doug.

When I go into my shoulder therapy session, first they have me wash my hands; then they warm me up with the arm-bike. Same thing in the practice of conversation: first we wash out the crud by writing; then we warm up by attending our heart beat. Then we are ready.

:- Doug.

Let us discover how to make wonderful converse.

:- Doug.

Conversation is how we get better at human. More: it is the human of human.

:- Doug.

I see now that conversing’s turning is an unfolding of ourselves one and several and an enfolding of one another. The embrace of dance, the warmth of the living eating critters beneath our toes out of our sight. All entangled, entwined, plaited. Dig your toes into the mud!

:- Doug.

I turn now to an undiscovered land.

:- Doug.

What are the conversations of your life? Which have been the most alive for you?

:- Doug.

What is the common language of humanity, the ways that identify us?

:- Doug.

Go to the undiscovered country.

:- Doug.

Predicted: some homely little thing will hold a commonly well-felt qwoan.

:- Doug.

Proposed: There are human things we do today which will be recognizable to those living truly living 300 years off, and there are human things we will do then that will be recognizable to those of us truly living now. And the things recognized will also be things which bring the qwoan more alive in us.

:- Doug.