The Messenger - Making Waves and Riding the Currents: activism & the practice of wisdom

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Monday, 08 September 2008

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Making Waves and Riding the Currents: activism & the practice of wisdom

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Written by Charles Halpern

...learn as much as
you can...then step
back and make your
decision based on
listening to the voice
of intuition.

Reprinted with permission from BKCommuntications.

“Do you know the game of Chinese baseball?” **

“No, I don’t think so.”

“The game is exactly the same as American baseball, but there is one rule that is different. When the pitcher throws the ball, anyone on the field can move any base—so long as the ball is in play.”

I laughed. “So a person skilled at American baseball might do very badly at Chinese baseball. He could run to second base and find it wasn’t there.” Ralph joined me, with his deep and hearty laugh.

“Yes, that’s right. You have to be quick-witted, agile, and prepared to shift course in light of new circumstances. I hope you are ready to play Chinese baseball in Queens.”

I was accustomed to playing games where the rules were relatively static and predictable: statutes, rules of court, and the code of civil procedure. When we created CLASP, we created new results within the old systems of rules, inventing new interpretations and stretching the boundaries. But I never had to cope with bases that were in a different place on each play.

Ralph interrupted my reflection. “Impermanence is the only thing you can be certain about,” he said. “You are wise to learn as much as you can about the surrounding circumstances and get the best assurances you can, but do not mistake them for something they aren’t. You should only stay in this job if you’re prepared to live with uncertainty, if you are prepared to try your hand at Chinese baseball.”

While Ralph spoke, the waiter cleared the table and the dining room grew quiet. Ralph continued: “In deciding whether to stay, learn as much as you can about the details, analyze the facts as closely as you can, compare the position to other possible alternatives, and then set all that aside. Step back from your analysis and make your decision based on an apprehension of the totality, listening to the voice of intuition. Once you have made up your mind, stick to your decision and—as Truman used to say—do your damnedest.”

“...I thought I could manage it if I followed Ralph’s advice—see the situation realistically, without illusion, and don’t expect to play on a field where the baselines were fixed and the rules unchanging. “

**I assume Chinese baseball, as I describe it here, is a game Ralph Siu invented––a product of his whimsical imagination. I doubt anyone plays the game this way, but I might be wrong. ––Charlie

©2008 by Charles Halpern
Printed with permision from Berrett-Koehler publications • www.BKConnections.

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