[OSList] OS for Dementia?

Thu Nov 14 12:09:38 PST 2013

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 <hhowen at verizon.net> 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
> (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: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org
> [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] 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 OSList at lists.openspacetech.org To unsubscribe send
> an
> email to OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
> 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 OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
> To unsubscribe send an email to OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
> 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
s.daigle at nufocusgroup.com
twitter @suzannedaigle
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.openspacetech.org/pipermail/oslist-openspacetech.org/attachments/20131114/fe3565ea/attachment-0008.htm>