Angeles Arrien – Re-Storying the World

Vivian Wright: So now, we get to mess with what Peter stirred up, and the rest of us stirred up. And I would just like to hand over to Angeles, and initiation to have a conversation about that.

Angeles Arrien: Well one of the things that I really loved in what Peter stirred up – he’s so good at stirring the pot. And also, Peter, you have an uncanny capability to ignite memory and the imagination at the same time – which is really a definition of wizardry.

Peter Block: Put that on my resume.

Angeles Arrien: One of the things that I love what you’ve been exploring, are all the crucibles of connection – education is a crucible of connection, economics is a crucible of give and take, exchange – really, all about reciprocity, and the heart of generosity. And religion, really means to reconnect. To reconnect to something that you can rely upon. Then architecture is a way of building a sense of shelter, or home; but essentially, in its primal place is around honoring spirits of land, and spirits of place.

The fact that you’re using the word restoration – the heart of that word is to “re-story.” And I think we’re in an exciting time, not only of restoration as a healing word, but also as an active word into re-story. What it cultivates, for me is – it takes me on a journey, what is wanting to be re-storied in our lives at this time? Or re-storied in education; or re-storied in the spirit of generosity that resides in the human spirit; that the structures of economics support. Or what wants to be re-storied as far as structures that really create the embrace of place, and the embrace of home; or the experience of home, and what that means…

So I like the word restoration, a lot. Especially liked the restorative process – oh, it’s a wonderful phrase that you said, “The restorative process requires a community.” And when you think about that, it requires connection – any restorative process requires some kind of connection, and is not ultimately ever done alone. Any kind of healing is never done alone; any kind of re-storying, when we begin to re-story ourselves, it’s always in connection to something or somewhere, or someone, in someway. I think it would be wonderful, because community also means common unity. Which, I think the conversation that Larry, you were bringing in, and we were requesting from you around the plebian conversation, is the commons, or the common unity – or to be one together. And the wonderful phrase, “The solidarity of solitudes,” is another definition for a greater community. In a sense, in the day that we’ve been here together, we’re really a solidarity of solitudes reconnecting, and restoring one another through connection. And all of the categories – I love what you’re taking on around education, or around health, or around religion, or around architecture, economics, cause those are the crucibles of connection of reconnection, and re-storying. So I liked it a lot.

Vivian Wright: What a delicious invitation. There is a faith.

Angeles Arrien: Oh definitely, I have his back.

Vivian Wright: Well you know the rules here: find the unfamiliar; don’t offer help. So let’s have a conversation about re-storying.

Peter Block: So the question – I liked the re-storying. So you might ask yourself what’s the alternative story that you’re living into now? I do think, even though, regardless of how I talk about it, is not to argue or fight against patriarchy – it’s to creative an alternative to it. So you might ask the question – you’re here because you’re living into an alternative story. Otherwise you’ve found something else to do for these two days. Somehow in the naming of the new story, there’s power in that. So you might ask yourself, what name might I today give to the new story that I’m living into?

Vivian Wright: So with that, small groups.

Peter Block: Find two other people; don’t wait to be chosen.

Vivian Wright: Don’t offer help.