Actually, Doug... if you read between the lines I was pulling everybody's leg a bit. It is not so much about doing something special or different, if only because we are all in this dementia thing together, or certainly on the way. It is just about living... and opening space wherever, however, whenever, with whomever -- as often as we can.
Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Dr. Potomac, MD 20854 USA 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer) Camden, Maine 04843 Phone 301-365-2093 (summer) 207-763-3261 www.openspaceworld.com www.ho-image.com (Personal Website) To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of OSLIST Go to:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of doug Sent: Thursday, November 14, 2013 9:51 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [OSList] OS for Dementia? Suzanne and Harrison-- Thanks Harrison and Suzanne. What I picture from what you have each written is opening space in an even more open manner. Lisa-style, without words perhaps, just inviting with eyes and hugs and music or humming or pictures or dancing with your hands.... :- Doug. On 11/14/2013 03:09 PM, Suzanne Daigle wrote: > Well Harrison... I guess I will need to reflect on that...or not so > much. Funny how when it gets real close, like really close, we do a > lot to eliminate the pain (for a mom, a child or whoever) and pain > there was when spaces around mom felt really closed and conversations > seemed more like interrogations. > > Open Space was never like that for me so... I will open myself up and > tell myself that whatever I did to make some of the hurt go away was > not controlling or wrong, it was simply Life and Open Space. And I > guess that's the point that I'm getting right now. > > So Doug, perhaps what I can imagine now through and with Open Space > is that more and more people would have opportunity to be with each > other in the way that Open Space invites us to be with each other. And > there would be much that would be good that would happen -- loving > connections with new insights I imagine. > > Like wow, I can feel a few knots in my stomach feeling myself shift a > belief that I was so certain about. > > Thank you for this rich insight Harrison. But I do still have those > knots in my stomach thinking about it. > > Suzanne > > > > > On Thu, Nov 14, 2013 at 11:27 AM, Harrison Owen <[email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: > > Doug -- I've been a little slow to respond to this one. Slowness > seems to > come with advancing years. To your question -- OS for folks with > Dementia? > Why not? > > If nothing else that population of folks would probably include just > about > everybody over 65. Of course, Dementia comes in a variety of flavors > from > mild to horrific, but those of us of a certain age have more than a > little > existential experience with the critter. It is a little upsetting, > sometimes. The name of your best friend which evaporated. Those lost > eyeglasses that you suddenly find on your nose. Finding yourself > standing in > the middle of a familiar room with absolutely no idea about why you were > there, and what on earth you came to do. It happens. Been there... > > So, OS for Dementia? Certainly, unless of course those of us so > afflicted > have suddenly been excluded from the sacred circle of Homo sapiens. And > actually, I don't really think there is much choice. Fact is (I > find), all > the world is self organizing (open space) and life goes better for > those who > have learned, in one way or another, to navigate that world. Life gets > clunky, closed and (more) painful when we make the mistake of > thinking we > are actually in charge. I think this is true for all of us, but for > those of > us with diminished(ing) mental capacity there are some special traps > along > the way. > > For example, take the situation of the forgotten name. We can sit > there and > agonize over the lapse of memory. We can beat on ourselves for being so > forgetful. We can remember (oh yes, we do remember some things!) how the > proper name just sprang instantly to mind... > > With a little effort we can feel totally miserable, and our misery is > compounded by the fact that the harder we try to remember, the more > distant > that elusive name seems to become. But there is a solution -- Just > let it > go! More often than not, once we let go, the all important name > miraculously > appears. And if it doesn't... A smile is often better than proper > nomenclature. > > A little Open Space is good for just about everything and everybody. > And I > have to admit that I have forgotten all the things it isn't good for. > > > Harrison > > Harrison Owen > 7808 River Falls Dr. > Potomac, MD 20854 > USA > > 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer) > Camden, Maine 04843 > > Phone 301-365-2093 <tel:301-365-2093> > (summer) 207-763-3261 <tel:207-763-3261> > > www.openspaceworld.com <http://www.openspaceworld.com> > www.ho-image.com <http://www.ho-image.com> (Personal Website) > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of > OSLIST > Go > > to:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.or > g > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]> > [mailto:[email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>] On Behalf Of doug > Sent: Friday, November 08, 2013 11:10 AM > To: World wide Open Space Technology email list > Subject: [OSList] OS for Dementia? > > Friends-- > > Have been thinking that a population OST could serve in a major good > way is > among people who have dementia. How? > > Perhaps we have a mixed group of people with dementia living in a > congregate > housing setting and teenagers. We gather them in a circle and do the > normal > things. The teenagers could help the oldsters remember the > instructions and > post topics. The title could be "Issues and Opportunities with Growing > Younger Every Day." > > How, if at all, would you change the normal format of OST for this > group? > What other mixture of people would you invite? What other titles? > > Perhaps we could get family members to gather with them around the topic > "Issues and Opportunities to Still Be Family" or "Meet Me Here Today." > > I wonder.... I invite you to wonder with me.... > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to [email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]> To unsubscribe send an > email to [email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]> > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to [email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]> > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]> > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > > > > -- > Suzanne Daigle > Open Space Facilitator > NuFocus Strategic Group > > FL 941-359-8877 > Cell: 203-722-2009 > www.nufocusgroup.com <http://www.nufocusgroup.com> > [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > twitter @suzannedaigle > > > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to [email protected] To unsubscribe > send an email to [email protected] > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > _______________________________________________ OSList mailing list To post send emails to [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org _______________________________________________ OSList mailing list To post send emails to [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org .
