[OSList] OS for Dementia?

doug ost at footprintsinthewind.com
Fri Nov 15 07:20:52 PST 2013


Harrison--

Agreed wholeheartedly!

:- Doug.

On 11/15/2013 09:17 AM, Harrison Owen wrote:
> 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: 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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