Marshall Rosenberg has died

Heavy news. Imagine the face of (what I imagine as, at least) a beardless Abraham Lincoln, the philosophical non-violence and grounded-ness of Gandhi, and the consistent gentleness of Fred Rogers--you have Dr. Marshall Rosenberg.

I heard about it from Miki Kashtan, who passed along an e-mail from the CNVC announcement.

Feelings-wise, the news did not seem to affect me much...no personal grief or sorrow. My thoughts are with his children and other family members. On two occasions, several years apart, I attended free beginner NVC group sessions hosted by Dr. M.R. (mentally, I came up with "Dr. Mr." a while back, as a joke) in Oakland, California. One in 2007, I think, and one before that, perhaps in 2005 or 2006. So, I got a first-hand perspective of listening to him.

These last few months, driving long distances, I have revisited his audio recordings. I have more to say about that in another post. For now, I only want to say his focus on teaching empathy has helped show me ways to connect and understand those around me. His ambitions went beyond just active listening, encompassing social change, restorative justice, and more.

That's all, for now.