Conversations

This week, I'd like to talk about conversations. I've been told more often than I like to recall about the 'power of conversations'. Spend enough time around Transition-types (and yes, there is a transition-type, much as I've struggled against it) and you'll be bound to hear it.

I've generally found it a frustrating thing to hear. It so often went with a discussion about the death of community and that usually got onto the subject sooner or later of the evils of technology. So I decided that it was just people who don't understand how to use Google properly and merrily disregarded it.

I was wrong. I've later discovered that some of those people who were saying it work in IT, and that conversations are, indeed, very powerful.

I facilitate Carbon Conversation courses- which really are just that. Conversations about carbon. The course was developed in Cambridge by Rosemary Randall and if you haven't been on one yet, I highly recommend it. Keep an eye out in the Transition Bulletin for the next one.

I can't remember when I did my course (it was a year and a half ago, maybe 2. Something like that). What I do remember was how nervous and out of place I felt when I turned up, and then how relaxed and comfortable I felt with my group by the end. The big thing I remember is the difference it made in my life. It took all those 'locked up', 'stuck', what else can I possibly do to make my life greener?' feelings and let me let go of them. It got me to put cling film on my windows when nothing else had. It helped me cycle to work a bit more often.

It didn't make me feel small or guilty or incapable of change, which Climate Change very often does. I was so impressed and moved by the course I decided to become a facilitator. I've just finished co-facilitating my course- I'd like to tell you tomorrow how it went.