Last year, Senior Services embarked upon an amazing series of community conversations which culminated in a Summit on Aging Your Way. Over 250 people assembled to discuss seven themes that were prevalent in those community conversations. Those themes were:
Community Connections.
Transportation.
Housing.
Health, Wellness & Fitness.
Local Economics.
Built Environment.
Lifelong Learning.
Arts and Entertainment.
[caption id="attachment_3560" align="aligncenter" width="687" caption="Jim Diers recounts Stone Soup story"]
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A personal highlight of the Summit was hearing Jim Diers remind us of the story of Stone Soup…how a little “magic stone” helped a village to create something truly delicious, in a time when people couldn’t imagine being generous. He also reminded us that our society focuses too much on the deficiencies that people have. And yet when we focus on the gifts and talents that each individual possesses, we can see them as full citizens of the community and the planet.
To me cohousing is the embodiment of celebrating each person’s gifts. I was proud to present the concept of cohousing to this fantastic group of seniors who were actively engaged with their aging process. Clearly cohousing was an idea that resonated with many to whom I spoke.
Not only did I host four 5-minute “mini-presentations” (more like a speed date than a presentation), I also facilitated two 20-minute workshops and reported on cohousing at the concluding plenary session. It was a fast paced day, but one that was fruitful to all of us who participated. Thanks to Senior Services (particularly Dori, Sabrina, and Joann) for planning such an action-packed agenda.
More information about the community gatherings, including an illustrated report from each one, can be found at the Aging Your Way website.
