Catherine - couldn't resist this story. In the late 90's the advisory council of the AARP (American Association of Retired People - average age, late 70's) wanted to consider their future. Two day Open Space - standard model with people writing their own reports on Computers - which most of the participants had never used before and some had never seen. I was a little worried, but shouldn't have been. At the end of the first day I came upon a lady, well into her 80's, working on her report. It happened that she had identified THE issue, and she arrived at the computer with tons of news print. There she sat squinting at the news print and entering her report with one finger. Normally I wouldn't suggest it, but I did feel that I should at least offer to help. Which I did. The lady listened to my offer and then turned on me in an abrupt manner. She said, "No young man. I will write my own report."
No worries. Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Dr. Potomac, MD 20854 USA Phone 301-365-2093 www.openspaceworld.com www.ho-image.com (Personal Website) To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Catherine Pfaehler Sent: Sunday, November 21, 2010 4:12 PM To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: Open Space with seniors Dear friends I have been asked by the Grey Panthers (a political organisation of seniors) to briefly present OST to them on Tuesday, Nov. 30th. Most of them are 55 years old or older. They want to have a one-day-event dealing with their future and their image. At the same time, my contact tells me that many of them like to tell stories from their earlier lives when they were still working, and most of them think that a whole day is too long for them. Some have also become a bit fatalist, not caring too much about the future anymore. Please let me know what your experiences are when facilitating OST for seniors, and how to deal with the above contradictions, i.e. how to give enough time for storytelling when at the same time one entire day might be too long for them to attend. I will be out of my office for a week now, but would be delighted to find some of your answers in OSLIST by then. Thank you already!!! With gratitude, Catherine Catherine Pfaehler lic.oec.HSG Open Space Begleitung Burckhardtstrasse 2 CH - 3008 Bern Telefon +41-(0)31 - 536 05 31 Mobile +41-(0)76 - 488 15 46 c.pfaeh...@open-space-begleitung.ch www.open-space-begleitung.ch <http://www.open-space-begleitung.ch/> * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
