2009.12.27 08:00 - Presence and a Felt Sense of Proximity

Amidst the holiday season, today's guardian meeting was attended by Calvino, Eden, Eliza, Eos, Genesis, and Widget. Eliza posted the log with just a few comments. :)

Calvino Rabeni: Eliza :)
Vendy Walpole is Online
Widget Whiteberry: ☆smiles☆
Eliza Madrigal: I wonder what our topic should be this morning... haven't given it much thought amidst the holiday hoopla
Eliza Madrigal: Hi Eos :)
Widget Whiteberry: I just wanted to be* here. G'day, Eos
Eos Amaterasu: Hi Eliza, Cal, Widg (where's Widg?)
Eliza Madrigal: Also, must admit that cold meds are making me feel a little squidgy... might be better not to say too much... hahah
Widget Whiteberry lurks in the corner and wonders where the next person will sit
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Eliza Madrigal: like a parlour game
Eos Amaterasu can't stop spinning
Eos Amaterasu: ah, finally
Eliza Madrigal: I'm sure attendance will be spare today, as some are travelling or in recovery from celebrations
Eliza Madrigal: All settled, Eos?
Eos Amaterasu: Need a 12-stop program
Eos Amaterasu: :-)
Eliza Madrigal: hahah

Quiet...

Eliza Madrigal: Well, while we are waiting... It isn't official pab I guess, but in line with the facilitation topic, I've been considering quite deeply, 'group appreciation' and the environment which is created to allow flows of creativity and conversation
Widget Whiteberry listens
Eos Amaterasu: where are you, widget?
Widget Whiteberry: in rl?
Eliza Madrigal: that our group exercizes are very much about this... about learning to get comfortable in that shared space and carry that 'everywhere'
Eos Amaterasu: here, in SL
Widget Whiteberry: 5 seats to your right
Widget Whiteberry: looking at your back
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Eos Amaterasu: Weird.... are you wearing an invisibility cloak?
Eliza Madrigal: You might not be seeing across sims, Eos
Widget Whiteberry: hmm, not for me, but I will stand and rebake
Calvino Rabeni: widg is over a sim line
Eos Amaterasu: Ah there you are!
Eliza Madrigal: :)))
Widget Whiteberry: ☆smiles☆
Eos Amaterasu: (sorry Eliza)
Eliza Madrigal: Not at all :)
Eliza Madrigal: Hi Gen! :)
Eos Amaterasu: Hi Gen
genesis Zhangsun: Hi!
Eos Amaterasu: Hi Gen
genesis Zhangsun: Hey Eos!
Eliza Madrigal: Gen we are a small group this morning, and not yet settled on a guardian topic. :)
Eos Amaterasu: [8:08] Eliza Madrigal: Well, while we are waiting... It isn't official pab I guess, but in line with the facilitation topic, I've been considering quite deeply, 'group appreciation' and the environment which is created to allow flows of creativity and conversation
Eos Amaterasu: that's what PaB as a group, and guardians, are about?
Eliza Madrigal: Well, that's a filler I think... something I've been noticing in RL more... that there are times PaB sets the stage so wonderfully, for a kind of synchronicity and flow in daily events...
Eliza Madrigal: the way personal practice does
genesis Zhangsun: yes and maybe no real separation between individual and group
Eliza Madrigal: yes
genesis Zhangsun: hehe yes Eliza me too I have noticed that- when I am actually there as opposed to somewhere esle there is less catching up to do
Eliza Madrigal: and speaks to something Storm said a few weeks ago, regarding when we are engaging the practices in our own personal lives, that sessions naturally benefit... visa versa
Eliza Madrigal: Oh yes exactly Gen!
Eliza Madrigal: the 'prep' time

News! ...

Eliza Madrigal: Anyway, I wonder if others are thinking of topics? News to report?
Eos Amaterasu: Regarding retreats, looks like August 1-7 are dates for Nova Scotia retreat in 2010
Widget Whiteberry: I've wondered about how we at PaB relate to other SL groups with a meditation or contemplative practice
genesis Zhangsun: quick announcement- we will be holding the PaB end of the year party 12/30 2-6pm SLT!
Eliza Madrigal: Sounds wonderful Eos!! That is one I'd very much like to attend
Eos Amaterasu: http://playasbeing.wik.is/PaB_Retreats/2010-07_Nova_Scotia
genesis Zhangsun: very cool
Eliza Madrigal: That's good timing, too, Gen. Europeans can still make it toward the beginning, etc
Eos Amaterasu: Wol may come
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Eliza Madrigal: The site looks amazing, Eos
Eos Amaterasu: Pema was suggesting a longer retreat, so this will be 5 full days, rather than the 3 we've had in previous retreats
Widget Whiteberry: what happens at the retreat?
Eos Amaterasu: PaB in RL, lots of open space, with periodic get-togethers to practice, discuss
Eos Amaterasu: PaB practice sessions of 10 minutes, 6 minutes, longer, and discussion
Eos Amaterasu: Gen did a great report on the California retreat in August
genesis Zhangsun: thanks Eos a little late but there now at least :)
Eos Amaterasu: http://playasbeing.wik.is/PaB_Retreats/2009-08_California/Gen's_California_Retreat_Report
Eliza Madrigal: Ah, yes so clearly described... felt I could really experience it with you all
Eos Amaterasu: (watch that apostrophe in the title.... could mess up)
Widget Whiteberry: Eos, my browser says there is no text on that page
genesis Zhangsun: there is also the April retreat this year in northern CA
Eliza Madrigal: darn apostrophes
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Widget Whiteberry: I might make nothern CA
Eos Amaterasu: Go here first, then find, at the left, the sub-menu for Gen's report: http://playasbeing.wik.is/PaB_Retreats/2009-08_California
Widget Whiteberry: ty
genesis Zhangsun: I am going to spend this month figuring out whether it will be a city retreat or rural retreat
Eliza Madrigal: Ah, would love to make that one too... prob have to choose though... :)
Eliza Madrigal: Widget, is there something more you could say about what you are wondering with regard to other communities?
Eliza Madrigal: Hi Eden! :)
Widget Whiteberry: yes hmmm
Widget Whiteberry: I see others in SL engaged in similar practices
genesis Zhangsun: hey eden!
Widget Whiteberry: well, not dis* similar
Eos Amaterasu: Hi Eden
Eden Haiku: Sooory to be so late. Forgot it was Sunday...;-)
Widget Whiteberry: my impulse is always to link, to introduce
Widget Whiteberry: and I don't know what is useful
Widget Whiteberry: in this particular context
Widget Whiteberry: so my thought arises and then dissapates
Widget Whiteberry: brb

Eliza Madrigal: No worries, Eden :) sophia P and I were turned around this morning, too
Eden Haiku: ;-) What are you discussing if I may ask?
Eliza Madrigal: Only a few times have I ever had a conversation with someone that caused me to bring up PaB directly as a suggestion the person might like to attend
Eliza Madrigal: I'll give you a card, Eden, to catch you up a bit :)
Eos Amaterasu: We've been talking about upcoming retreats, about PaB as group practice, and how PaB may relate to similar activities in SL
Eden Haiku: Thanks Eliza.
Eden Haiku: TY Eos
Calvino Rabeni: Not sure I have an idea, but "twitter" seems to be about "what are you doing right now?", a PaB-like notion
Eliza Madrigal imagines twittering notes following 9 sec practice...
Calvino Rabeni: So if I did a "tweet" every 15 minutes ...
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Eden Haiku: 14o chars
Eliza Madrigal: Twitter would bring it, though to a wider range, to a less intimate setting...
Eliza Madrigal: When we share in a session, we can linger or unfold things....
Calvino Rabeni: Presence and a felt sense of proximity
Eliza Madrigal: its a funny line

Sharing Pauses across time zones, even outside of SL...

Eos Amaterasu: I've been recently struck by something that is quite obvious, but therefore not so visible
Eos Amaterasu: that's quite amazing
Eos Amaterasu: which is the sheer fact that we can share a 90 secs pause across miles and time zones
Eden Haiku: Yes...
Eos Amaterasu: We could bring that to sharing a 9 secs in everyday life, through, for example, a little phone app you can key to indicate you're in a 9 secs
Eos Amaterasu: and which would show others in that micro-suspension (micro-meditation as Eliza called it earlier)
Eos Amaterasu: so you get that sense of shared presence in micro ways
Calvino Rabeni: I was thinking a twitter app would do that, with the right subscription
Eos Amaterasu: as well as encouragement to do the micro-pause
Eliza Madrigal: oooh so like "300 people across the world are engaging a 9 sec pause"
Eos Amaterasu: Yes
Widget Whiteberry: sometimes, when I take that micro-pause, I feel that others of you are doing the same
Eden Haiku: I woul consider joining Twitter then ;-)
Eos Amaterasu: It doesn't need to "say" anything
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Eos Amaterasu: just indicate the presence
Widget Whiteberry: and it doesn't matter to me if you are taking the pause at the same moment
Eliza Madrigal nods... hmm
Eos Amaterasu: no need to synchronize watches
Eden Haiku: Yes, me too Widget! Likme I'm connected to PaB then!
Eos Amaterasu: You can do twitter from/to SL
Calvino Rabeni: How is that Eos?
Eden Haiku: Through Sparkle app?
Eos Amaterasu: I think iPhone/Android app could do that a lot better than twitter, though
Widget Whiteberry: Although I don't use it much, my twitter is @WidgetW
Eos Amaterasu: Yes, Sparkle app is one way, though I think you need something more immediate, quicker
Eliza Madrigal: accessible
Eos Amaterasu: I forget the name, I have an in-world Twitter app, Calvino
Eos Amaterasu: It's a HUD
Eliza Madrigal: It is an interesting idea though... twitter as a bridge across communities
Eliza Madrigal: bringing others into one's personal 9 sec, in a sense...
Eos Amaterasu: use the #pab hashtag?
Eden Haiku: Have you been able to attend the public chat of PaB session with Sparkle Eos? It seems I can only access IM.
Eliza Madrigal: Well, even without twitter I use the pause like that sometimes... to bring others in... hold them in good will for a second, etc
Eos Amaterasu: Yes.... apparently I rezzed as a cloud
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Eden Haiku: Nice Eliza!
Calvino Rabeni: storm's playasbeing twitter has 20 followers
Eos Amaterasu just sent out a #PaB tweet
Eliza Madrigal: Oh, I have to remember how to use this... just added you Eos :)
Eos Amaterasu: problem is you get name clashes (just did search on #PaB)
Eos Amaterasu: I'm "szpak" on twitter
Calvino Rabeni: Can you briefly explain the hash tag concept to this newbie
Eliza Madrigal: I'm "this4now"
Eliza Madrigal: for now
Eliza Madrigal: hahah
Calvino Rabeni: BTW, I see your photo for first time, Eos
Eos Amaterasu: it's another avatar, Cal (RL :-)
Eos Amaterasu: idea of hastag is to add a search term to a tweet, by prepending # to it (like #playasbeing)
Calvino Rabeni: OK it is a tag
genesis Zhangsun: I have to run
genesis Zhangsun: bye everyone hopefully see u at the party!
Eliza Madrigal: Bye Gen :) Thanks for coming
Eliza Madrigal: Yes, you will! Thanks!
Widget Whiteberry: and, given the 140 character limit, shorter tags are desirable
Eos Amaterasu: C u at party, Gen (and others!)
Widget Whiteberry: although longer ones can usefully be part of the message

Tech can change things very quickly sometimes...

Eliza Madrigal: there's a boundary topic in here... guarding intimacy while sharing openly
Eos Amaterasu: Yes
Eliza Madrigal: For instance, facebook seemed a great idea to me until so many people were there that I found myself not posting quite freely
Eos Amaterasu: Tweets get published to a public timeline, so everyone in the world can see (although there's so mny tweets yours gets lost in the crowd)
Widget Whiteberry: most of my facebook content is about my public life
Widget Whiteberry: it is a very public space
Eos Amaterasu is thinking this may be a good iPhone project - keep a tighter PaB community together through day, as desired, ....
Eliza Madrigal: hm, mine too, now... at first it was a bit cozier
Widget Whiteberry nods
Widget Whiteberry: it may be time for me to upgrade my phone
Eos Amaterasu: tends to be an issues as communities grow, even here in PaB - land :-)
Eliza Madrigal: :) Me too
Widget Whiteberry: iphone or blackberry, but I don't know which
Calvino Rabeni: I think it beneficial to compartmentalize online identities
Eos Amaterasu: Cor Wylder?
Calvino Rabeni: it is like doing different practices
Calvino Rabeni: Cor Wylder is an alt for twitter
Eliza Madrigal listens
Calvino Rabeni: Also a SL Alt of mine - just so you know
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Calvino Rabeni: I don't send it to PaB, at least not yet
Calvino Rabeni: Having alts can aid purity of focus
Eliza Madrigal nods
Eos Amaterasu: I've found twitter to be much more "work" oriented than Facebook
Eos Amaterasu: Stay in touch with community of practitioners, so to speak
Calvino Rabeni: yes, different communities, different alts
Widget Whiteberry: hmm, it makes sense to me to keep compartmentalized an alt dedicated to a particular purpose
Widget Whiteberry: but for instance
Calvino Rabeni: actually "community of practice" itself is a good topic for sometime to discuss
Widget Whiteberry: Widget is an all-purpose me
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Widget Whiteberry: and more and more I'm thinking it's time to drop the fire wall between Widget and my rl
Calvino Rabeni: PaB is a community of practice
Eliza Madrigal: hm
Eos Amaterasu looks at himself, all purpose?
Widget Whiteberry grins
Calvino Rabeni: Calvino Rabeni is a swiss army knife
Widget Whiteberry: lol
Calvino Rabeni: Has a tool for everything
Eliza Madrigal: :) and tricks up his sleeve?
Calvino Rabeni: does nothing extremely well :)
Eos Amaterasu waits to see the swiss army knife AV
Eliza Madrigal: hahaha
Widget Whiteberry: Eos, do any of the people you know through Alia who are in SL , not know your rl identity?
Eliza Madrigal: I'm not feeling very well... time to lay down. Have a lovely day everyone, and if someone could send me the rest of the chat today I'd appreciate it very much!
Eos Amaterasu: I have not hidden my identity from anyone
Eden Haiku: Sent my first tweet just now ;-)
Eliza Madrigal: OH, wait.. under what name eden?
Eden Haiku: Sory about your cold Eliza. Take care!
Widget Whiteberry: feel better soon Eliza
Eos Amaterasu: Bye Eliza, thanks for being here...
Eden Haiku: I used edenhaiku...
Calvino Rabeni: Bye Eliza get well
Eos Amaterasu: chicken soup, and chocolate :-)
Eos Amaterasu: I see it (both of them :-)
Eden Haiku: ;-)
Eliza Madrigal: Hm, can't find edenhaiku or cor wylder yet... will have to work on that :)

I checked once more before signing off and was indeed able to add them :)

Eliza Madrigal: Thank you everyone. Hugs :)