Thursday
Community Articles, Editorial StaffGratitude for Human Resource
An Excerpt from the March 2024 Shambhala Touching the Earth Collective Newsletter
by Irene Woodard
There is a group of us in the Collective studying Joanna Macy’s Active Hope. And the start of her spiral is gratitude.
And so this is coming from that place, where someone has been so important to the Collective, that it needs a display of gratitude that goes beyond the customary or even special thanks.
I am speaking of the human resource, named Richard Peisinger.
Richard said yes when asked to be on the inaugural Steering Committee of the Shambhala Touching the Earth Collective. So, in October 2018 he was one of the Co-Founders of the Collective.
He quickly established himself as our facilitator of the weekly meetings. In order to get the idea of the Collective off the ground, or grounded so to speak, we met weekly and 5 plus years down the road we have continued to meet 3 of 4 weeks a month. He created the agendas and led the meetings.
He was instrumental in creating the Mission Vision and Values Statement the Collective has etched in its inner and outer expressions. He insisted we have a pin, and so we do. He provided a sounding board for editing the Newsletter. He kept a steady beat of the drum of discipline reminding us of prior commitments, budgets, and building membership. He maintained lists.
But most of all, for me anyway, he became my friend. He was sturdy to my wispy dreamy…
He was an ear that was always there. And through time, I softened to his bristle, and appreciated his deep voice…and what I slowly recognized as an important voice.
The Collective must appreciate this human resource. Richard Peisinger. He served on the Steering Committee for 5 and a half years, and is now stepping away from the post. The Collective is surely what it is today due to his passion and exertion for the sacred earth…
All the thanks sent in were read out loud, on the Feb 17th Collective New Year Meeting.
This sonnet was written for the occasion…
On the Steering Committee for five years
You brought order to the environment
You lead our meetings with such precision
You helped create values, mission vision
The Newsletter cemented our friendship
Our minds let loose on our monthly zoom calls
Crack the whip on the hourly calls you ruled
And kept to sixty minutes, we were schooled
Smiling Dorje Dradul above your head
Your orders from Makkyi your daily bread
A voice so deep, may be scary to some
But there is a joke, you too can be fun!
Thank you Richard, you never let me down
Master of all agendas you wear the crown!
LOVE
Irene
***
To read the full March 2024 Shambhala Touching the Earth Collective Newsletter please click here.
