[OSList] OS for Dementia?

Harrison Owen hhowen at verizon.net
Fri Nov 15 06:17:47 PST 2013


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)
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-----Original Message-----
From: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org
[mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of doug
Sent: Thursday, November 14, 2013 9:51 PM
To: oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
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 <hhowen at verizon.net 
> <mailto: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 <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: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org
>     <mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org>
>     [mailto: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....
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>
>
> --
> Suzanne Daigle
> Open Space Facilitator
> NuFocus Strategic Group
>
> FL 941-359-8877
> Cell: 203-722-2009
> www.nufocusgroup.com <http://www.nufocusgroup.com> 
> s.daigle at nufocusgroup.com <mailto:s.daigle at nufocusgroup.com>
> twitter @suzannedaigle
>
>
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