I will be unable to attend this Cafe due to circumstances at work, possibly joining in during the last half hour. I will pass the hosting off to Marco (or to anyone that may wish to introduce the topic or proceed with a clean start). Below are my rambly two cents worth of thoughts on the next steps for the Cosmos Co-op as presented from my perspective.
Speaking of host, I would like to think that, as a whole, we here in the Cosmos collectively play host to the “strange strangers” that show up through the door. The inklings, ideas, and individuals (including ourselves) who show up invited or not are uncanny; once we think we can define what these inkings/ideas are or what these individuals are or who we are, the stranger they/we become. We host all kinds of strangers that can flip from known to unknown and back again. I like to carry the thought that, collectively, we are approaching or veering towards better discernment (grace?) towards which intuitions, ideas we will allow in the door while at the same time be open to any individual, to be a good friend by greeting new individuals and their new ideas while being a great friend by inquiring about these inklings and tendencies, seeing if these ideas converge with the vision we are trying to concretize here and holding these up against the bigger (and smaller) picture . . . will these hold up in the larger ecology? Will these respect the smaller ecologies?
I would like for this thread and the conversation to include the imaginings of others. I don’t want to put anyone on the spot or seem demanding of your time or response, but I would love to hear what others have in mind, especially those that cannot or prefer not to “physically” attend the Cafe sessions. @Ariadne has a wisdom making itself present in her written voice. I feel more connected to my place on Earth when I read one of her posts, one of her poems. Are we limiting what she can offer simply because she opts out of the recorded sessions? What could we achieve together that would see her unspoken yet lived experience come to life in the Cosmos? I love Marco’s reading of her words. I hesitate to speak of Maia as our motherly, earthly figure and wish to allow her to become at her own pace. But I do see an Earthly diaspora when I think of her name. What would benefit Maia? How can we support her and the many others quietly, powerfully forming the Cosmic steps of our travels? More readings of her poetry? A shared local event? Can you get a sense for what I am feeling?
For those that will be in the Zoom meet-up . . . I am wondering if there is anything left unsaid, some vision that may wish to be heard . . . even just a simple idea about something you would like to have happen but may not seem achievable or realistic. @achronon may have hidden in the depths that what we really need is the Mahood Decimal System (Dewey almost got it right . . .); if we could glean the videos and forum posts for all book titles referenced and place this in some online library format, then the Cosmos would feel more like home. @johnnydavis54 once had the idea of something similar to StoryCorps, recording sessions with fellow cosmonauts, family members and loved ones in order to retain stories and memories about those no longer living in the flesh. @Michael_Stumpf: I don’t mind putting you on the spot . . . what is your vision? You and we have “flourished” from your participation here . . . what’s next? Where are we going?
I came onto this site and in my first or second Cafe meetup, I voiced that I desire to be the old man on the porch, looking at the great family and kin living and loving as they go about in days of play. That was my first image formed with Johnny’s Clean Start. And it still holds true. I still wish to see all of you at play, I love to witness the greatness that forms here. Never has such a feat been achieved with an online forum, though we are much more than a forum.
Perhaps Marco will be present to attest his own thoughts on this exploration, and I do not wish to neglect the great service he has provided here. Yet he humbly wants to hear what you want to have happen. Most of the concrete jungle that you see here began with (mostly) his vision…Metapsychosis; Readers and Writers Underground; Cosmos Coop; Infinite Conversations website and podcast…and what a feat! Yet again, Marco has little desire to be at the center of the Cosmos, or controlling the helm. The Cosmos is breaking open its head and light is pouring out in all directions
When I ask what is missing or what do you want to have happen,. We are working on making the potentials and sensed bits a reality, yet sometimes your vision may not be heard because it has yet to be articulated or has been shelved, waiting for the ripe time. My favorite personal example that I see as a missing piece is an observation that intergenerational experience is missing from our schools/education; interactions online; our religions. More locally: intergenerational activity is not occurring on this site. One of my visions is that we can open up the ecological conversations online, share a reading group with children, teens, middle-aged adults and elders; bring what we learn into the world and also bring the world to our learning. It needs to go both ways. I think this is my ultimate interpretation of what @Geoffreyjen_Edwards says at the end of the Bateson calls (to put into practice what we learned from Bateson). For this to happen we need to lead by example, keep this place a safe place to try new things, fail and try again. To confront world issues and confront each other. (This is where playing good host is crucial). Currently, there is little space for something like this to happen, here or anywhere online. But my participation here is frequently glancing at this reminder of the various potentials for inter-generational sharing.
I think it would be useful to have specifics. Something like: I really wish I could just start my own reading group or I would like to start a podcast of my own and invite the guests that I wish to speak to about what Im interested in or I would love to hear about . . . Or I would love to be able to arrange local events through this forum and use the forum to share a discussion. Someone like @AndrewField81 might wish to continue the conversation of his arranged reading groups or record the live sessions and post them publically or privately on the forum. Or I want to write my own book but want to have it published as I see fit and not cater to Google requirements or whathaveyou…
Thanks for reading this far . . . looking forward to watching this one!