Bret and Jeff went camping. Sounds like they had a really good time, but they said when they were preparing for the trip, there was a nagging doubt that they had forgotten something.
To invite me.
Well, hopefully, they’ll remember next time, and I can get out and about in Wales once again (there has been a bit of an adventure lull since the fairly successful BT Adventures).
While I was talking to Bret, it reminded me of something I heard a couple of years ago.
I make no claims that this is factually accurate, it could be a modern myth I have no idea (I was flying to Thailand several years ago, and a female backpacker I was sat next to, told me about it).
The way its explained, is how conflicts and disputes are resolved in the Navajo, native American culture. Basically, if 2 braves have a dispute, the Chief will call the whole village together and arrange for a length of rope, to be tied together, to form a ring.
The 2 braves, each stand outside the ring, and then take it in turns to make a statement, and then step into the ring. If the other person agrees with the statement then he also steps into the ring (referred to as stepping into the rope).
The idea here, is if say the 2 men are both in love with the same woman, one of them for example would say “she loves me and not you” he will then step into the rope. The other person will disagree, and not stop into the rope, so the first person, must step out again.
On the other hand, if one of them says ” to be happy and in love with someone, is one of the finest things that can happen to a person” and steps in, the other will probably follow suit.
In principle, no discussion, can ever start until both people are inside the rope. Since this can only happen, if they agree (at list in principle) on one fundamental thing.
I’m not advocating that offices around the land should have ropes on the floor, but whenever I try to resolve an argument, or something like that, I always try to agree some common ground first. It saves so much time.