Thursday July 5 (in deference to the holiday) marked the beginning of the sixth year of First Wednesday Conversations. I started hosting this conversation in July 2007, immediately after graduating from OSR. Under the influence of David Whyte, I wanted to have a practice around conversation that would require me to show up. I have now shown up 61 consecutive months. In the first year there were two months when I was given time to journal alone for 90 minutes, but every other time there have been at least three others interested in the conversation.
On July 5 we talked about how some of us use poetry in our work, some of our preferred poems and poets for different circumstances or topics (leadership, change, interconnection, living systems), and how our clients or colleagues responded. We found common ground with David Whyte, Mary Oliver, Rumi, and David Wagoner. Other poets that have helped me out include Derek Mahon, Gary Snyder, and Naomi Shihab Nye.
If you live in the Olympia area and didn’t know about these conversations, send me an email and I’ll put you on the monthly invitation. And, you can just start showing up.