Let us be very clear: the transition away from Palm Beach Quakers was a step in the right direction

 It's very odd how apparently bad things turn out good. And it is regrettable that I did not employ non-violent communication to express my unmet needs.

But at a deep soul level, I needed to go. I was getting great gains from the Silence there. And let's also be clear: the people who attend there need to be there and they are getting what they want at this moment in Spacetime.

But my search for community since then has been nothing short of amazing. And I would not have done it had I stayed there and did my best to remain married  to them

And please stop all nonsense about me graduating to something better than them. Again: it's about what brings you joy. And clearly I was not totally receiving joy in certain material concerns. I had an old friend named Lisa Rippy and she said: "I see it like a checkerboard... where people are basically just making the moves that work for them"


LET ME REPHRASE THINGS:

My search for community has been agonizing. I did not know how lucky I was to be able to meditate and then sit down and have casual conversation with spiritual people afterwards. My unmet needs flared up more than once and were expressed more than once in a way intended to shoot daggers into the hearts of others.

And I havent found another place with this much easy interaction in Palm Beach/Lake Worth!

But in the search for community, I have found some practices and paths that I am absolutely thrilled about! And community can build around them over time.

SO LET'S DROP THE LEGALISMS

My investigations have confirmed (to certainty of about 70%) that my dismissal was not handled via Quaker processes. I could continue to write to John about this, and I'm sure he would write back promptly. But why waste his time and mine? 

  1. Quaker meetings are autonomous
  2. Quaker (business) meetings have been the arena where many bitter power struggles have taken place... in many meetings.
  3. John is doing his best to keep matters afloat there and made an executive decision that I could paint as him acting like some some sort of dictator or that I could paint as him acting like someone trying to keep the peace. But either painting would be a judgement and blaming and both position me as being a victim, which does me no good. 

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