OFFICE HOURS
THE WISE-AGER IS IN
You’re invited to make a date for a conversation with a wise-ager. That’s me. I’m one of them.
NOTE: THIS PROGRAM IS ON HOLD, AT LEAST TEMPORARILY.
If you’re interested in talking with me or have a question, please feel free to send me an email at <aafocke@gmail.com>. It would be helpful if you put “wise-ager” in the subject line. I’d love to talk with you!
The following text describes the past program.
I reserve two Wednesday afternoons a month for conversations with anyone who wants to sign up to talk about whatever’s on your mind. We usually meet in person, but I’ve also had great conversations with people in other parts of the country by phone.
“Wise-agers” (accent on the first syllable) stand on at least seven decades of experience. They resemble both teenagers and wiseacres, with splashes of wisdom and wizardry. Wise-agers love to listen and talk about and puzzle over almost anything. You can check the “about me” page on this website to learn more about what I’ve done with my seven plus decades.
Dates and times. [This was followed by a list of the dates and times that were available.]
Connecting. We usually meet at Artist Trust, though sometimes we’ve met by phone. We often walk down the street to a nearby coffee shop, or we simply walk and talk. Occasionally, I’ve met at someone’s home on Capitol Hill, and I’ve had conversations with groups of two or more and, a couple of times, with groups of students.
A little background. The idea is based on memorable conversations I’ve had in recent years with people who wanted advice or just wanted to talk. Artist Trust and I started this experiment a couple of years ago without knowing exactly where it would go. Since then I’ve learned that it gives me the opportunity both to meet extraordinary people I hadn’t known before and also to spend time with old friends. The conversations seem to matter to each of us. It allows for the kind of focused time that feels luxurious but that we seldom give ourselves. Each one takes its own course, and the form remains as open-ended as it started.
So, come use me as a sounding board, pick my brain, catch up on our lives, or try out new ideas. These chats are open to anyone. Let’s talk!
These conversations were first made possible through support from the Jini Dellaccio Project, a fiscally-sponsored project of Artist Trust. The office hours continue now due to the energy of those first three years. My thanks to all.
