,

Open Sharing

After we finish with poetry,  
we have created a strong, safe, deep container. 
At this point, someone asks, 
"Does any man have anything that is up for him 
that he wants to share?" 
We encourage men to speak about themselves 
using "I" statements rather than
telling the stories of others.
​We also avoid interrupting, cross-talk, 
or trying to "fix" other men by offering advice 
unless the man speaking has asked for advice or input.

If any of us has a question about what a man has said, 
we ask him if it is ok to pose our question. 
If it is, we ask. 
If it isn't, we accept that the man who shared 
simply wanted to speak and 
isn't interested in discussing his situation further.

If we want to comment on what another man has shared,
​we do so by talking about what his experience 
looks like in our own lives. 
That is to say, if a man shares 
about his relationship with his partner, 
we talk about our own relationship with our partners. 
We avoid trying to advise him or fix his situation 
unless he asks for that kind of input.