What will we be doing that day?
We will begin with an explanation of the theory behind the day, which will fill in the context for those who have not read Fifty& Fabulous!; The Best Years of a Woman’s Life. It is not required that you have read the book before you come, but of course I hope you’ll be inspired to do so. We will create a timeline that visually celebrates the lives and journeys of the woman in the room. We will harvest the days of those lives to fill ourselves with the self-knowledge that will feed our future. We will complete a series of exercises, some for personal reflection, some more active ( no jumping jacks, we promise) and some collaborative which will introduce and engage you in the developmental possibility which comes only after 50 and which can totally change how you will feel about your next birthday. We will then explore and begin to craft the story of what can come next for us.
Why should I attend?
You do not have to be afraid of aging to benefit from this day but if you are then you really need to join us. You can just be curious as I was when I first asked, “what is a woman’s role in society after menopause?” You will benefit from the day if you are currently experiencing or anticipating the common changes of this stage of life:
• in transition from one career to retirement or a new career.
• empty nesting and turning that 3rd bedroom into a home office or studio
• downsizing your home or relocating
• recently divorced or widowed and crafting a new life for yourself with new roles and relationships. No changes on the immediate horizon? That is OK too. The Fifty+ Fabulation Event introduces
you to a developmental possibility that deepens and enriches your life just where you are.
Why should I not attend?
If the statement, “Life 50+ is a stage of human development, not a stage of decline” does not intrigue you do not attend a Fifty+ Fabulation Event.
What does the word Fabulation mean?
The term Fabulation popularized by Robert Scholes, describes a class of 20th century novels that:
1. Do not fit into the traditional categories (of realism or romance)
2. Violate standard expectations (by experimenting with subject matter, form, style and temporal sequence)
3. Fuse perspective (the everyday, fantastic, mythical)
4. Blur traditional distinctions (between what is serious or trivial, horrible or ludicrous, tragic or comic)
Jaki invites you to apply the Fabulation method to your perspective on aging and enjoy the story of the next half of your life which will unfold, yes, even with an element of fantasy.
What did other participants like and dislike?
the time line exercise
the conversation and connection with other woman who were at this stage of life and
hearing each other’s experiences.
sharing the day with a woman who was special to theme.g. a friend or a sister or mother
the chance to explore themselves and the possibilities after 50
thinking about what they could do next in life…or not.
hearing about the interviews I did to write Fifty& Fabulous!- so OK I will talk about that a bit more.
not having time to answer all the questions. (So now we send you home with all the questions to do on your own if you wish.)
being asked to share when they did not want to. (So we make it your choice speak up or not.)
trying to fit all 100 photos on the timeline. (So we ask you limit your photos to 20 max.)
taking notes. (So if you don’t want to you don’t have to.)
being too cold but some were too hot. (Can’t fix this internal thermometer thing but we try to make the environment comfortable for all…bring a sweater or layer is my best advice.)
Will I have to share a lot?
I try very hard to create a comfortable and trusting environment where participants feel free to speak up and share because the experience is enhanced for all if the participants share what they are feeling and doing and learning at this stage in their lives. But no one will be forced to share. If you are a listener then you will still have a good day. If you are an introvert we will wait for your quiet gem to be spoken. If you are an extrovert I assume we will hear lots from you and that you will share the floor.
