On July 21, 2007, we truly morphed ... we transformed...

In 2006, a year before we pulled the plug, I was already fully ticked off and disgusted with Mr. Beal's monstrous
behaviors toward the good people who toiled endlessly to help him build the freecycle brand.  Lots and lots of people...
ME, Nancy Castleman, Tim Oey to name just a few, and countless others that he cast off without a moment of
thought in his selfish pursuit of whatever it is he is pursuing.  He just mowed down the grass in the grassroots
movement we all helped him create.  And he just keeps climbing on the corpses (...figuratively speaking of
course...) of those who gave so much for to the freecycling movement.  

At that time in 2006 I already wanted to pull the plug, but was so worried and fussed about losing the power
of the brand that we all toiled to create!  Way back then in mid-2006, Ottawa co-owner, Manuel Costa and I, 
invented the name "FullCircles" and registered the FullCircles.org domain name.  We had thought of freecircles,
but could just imagine sapping our energies in endless, stupid legal battles with Beal over the word "free"... can
you imagine!  How dumb would that be!  We're both too old for that.  And, anyway, Fullcircles seemed like a better
fit for our broader environmental view of how the freecycling process integrates with our notions of our communities
striving toward a simpler, sustainable places in a sustainable world.  ie. pulling the idea out of the dump and into
broader every day use!  That's where the name came from.

And the logo... In the wee hours of the morning, a day or two before we pulled the plug, Marie Claude (one of my
very favorite people to process ideas with...) and I were thinking about images for our "FullCircles" logo.  I can't
remember exactly how the idea hatched, but the drop in the pond seemed just like Freecycle.  Freecycle is the drop
that started the "circles"... the ripples which have spread out in increasing circles around the world.  For me, it was
an absolutely perfect metaphor.... the drop and the spreading ripples, natural circles.

And, adding the butterfly... well that was an after-thought... The butterfly thought process is described below.

So there it is...  I wanted to record the thoughts behind the logo for myself and for posterity.  It's not just cute or
nice.  It means a lot  ... at least to me!  It was a very personal thing!  So, when you "brand" your organization with
the FullCircles logo, you too can reflect on all that history... take a little pride in where you've come from and what
you stand for.  And if you decide to continue to sail your group under the "Freecycle" banner, you will have this
story to reflect on too!  Maybe you'll think twice.  I think it's a bit like sailing under the jolly roger / skull & crossbones.

===============

/e

PS:  I would like to have shared this with the members of the Canadian Freecycle Modsquad (which I created in
May/04...), but I've been banned from my own creation by Deron's Freecycle enterprise.  Banned by a foreigner from
membership in my own Canadian group.  I feel a little like I've been exiled in my own country.

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Eric Snyder <egsnyder@...>

Date: Fri, Jul 20, 2007 at 5:54 AM

Subject: The Butterfly Story: A useful metaphor for any change process

To: FutureOfCanada@yahoogroups.com

Cc: Scott Simmerman <Scott@...>, Nancy Castleman <nancycastleman@...>,
Andy Swarbrick <andyswarbs@...>, Marie <marie.f.claude@...>

I've practiced transcendental meditation on a daily basis since 1969.  During my morning meditation session this
morning, a story that one of my most memorable trainers, Scott Simmerman, uses in his training practice bubbled
up in my consciousness.  It's theButterfly story.  And it goes like this (I've modified it a bit to fit our situation): 

Two rather drab, immature Freecycle caterpillars are sitting next to each other on the fence on a
clear sunny July dayin the summer of 2007 . 

Suddenly a beautiful, colourful, FullCircles Monarch butterfly floats effortlessly by. 

First one, then two, then many FullCircles butterflies flying freely, gracefully in the sky above. 

One Freecycle caterpillar mumbles to the other Freecycle caterpillar... "You'll never get me up in one of
those butterfly things!!". 

 

 

I thought we might find this story timely and relevant to help our Freecycle moderators and members transform
the somewhat scary paradigm shift before them into a positive, worthwhile growth opportunity. As Scott says, 
remember..."one cannot become a butterfly by remaining a caterpillar."

Many thanks to Scott for planting this seed in my mind many moons ago.