And hear Anastasia and New Horizons Board Member, Steve Lebherz, introduce listeners to the --
Monday, September 25, 2017
Storytelling Workshop Podcast!
Find out how you can be involved with both our live, face-to-face and Online Storytelling Workshop Series.
And hear Anastasia and New Horizons Board Member, Steve Lebherz, introduce listeners to the --
And hear Anastasia and New Horizons Board Member, Steve Lebherz, introduce listeners to the --
Saturday, September 23, 2017
Introducing the Small "Zones of Peace" Storytelling Workshop Series Online
The Storytelling Workshop Series Online!
Begins Sunday, September 24, 4:00 p.m. on the
Anastasia The Storyteller Radio Show.
The surprises we come up with when we put ourselves and our voices out to others are never ending. I’ve been getting requests to sign up for New Horizons Small “Zones of Peace” Storytelling Workshop Series from people around the world, as far as Uganda. What a wonderful surprise this has been!
Just when New Horizons and myself had gotten to thinking there was no way for us to be useful with our community bridge building programs, given the current social and political polarization, we came up with an alternative to our signature program, Coffee House Conversations -- our new Storytelling Workshop Series.
We were just beginning to get used to our new normal of living with the notion that now might be the season to honor polarization, even with its downsides – and – let go of striving for unity, as a priority. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, out popped the idea of our partnering with StoryCorps and taking dialogue at New Horizons to a whole new level; setting up a program to tell and hear personal stories, in depth, especially those related to how people are feeling about and dealing with the “new normal” throughout our country and in our local communities.
We had started to accept that the present time might be the season for people to stake out their territories insofar as values and needs that had not been given due attention, like the feisty pups we sometimes mimic, even the snappish ones. But, for a time, beginning with last November’s election fall out, that did not seem to leave us with a viable path for our version of community service -- community dialogue.
What to do? What to do? We wondered and worried.
Then there was, also, the factor of my, Anastasia, needing to clearly separate my voice from the official voice of New Horizons. I, too, had reached a point where I needed to be more and more vocal about the values I hold to be important. The political had, indeed, become both the personal and professional for me that went beyond the scope of New Horizons and its small “zones of peace” building agenda.
It wasn’t that unity had ceased to matter to me. It was more that I sometimes took a long range path to getting there. After all, I had invested the past forty plus years of my life developing a comprehensive understanding, personally and professionally, of how the Dark Side of humanity operates and how to transform it. As most of us know, transforming the Dark Side is no simple task. Thus my voice on the subject, timely as it is for today’s circumstances, needs to be aired in a manner, not always seemingly in harmony with New Horizons.
We, New Horizons and I, do not truly have different destinations in mind, but sometimes we have divergent ways of reaching the objective; the greatest good for the greatest number of people in the most loving and compassionate ways possible. Thus my approaches do not always appear to be copacetic with those of New Horizons.
But ask yourself, how could New Horizons and myself genuinely be of different minds when I am the original architect of the project?
Still it seemed, for a time, as if New Horizons and myself might need to part company to keep our voices clear and defined, according to the strictures of non-profit regulations. Now it is looking more and more like we might just be needing to rearrange the playing pieces. That is if I can keep my thoughts on politics and other partisan affairs off this site, as in keep them limited to my Anastasia The Storyteller and Exploring Your Dark Side sites.
So far, so good, nonetheless, if you think we are still needing to do more self-defining to keep ourselves in pure non-profit compliance, please let us know your viewpoint. We will get right on it to clear up any fuzziness.
On my end, however, our policing board member, Lisa, seems to be satisfied with how I am speaking my “truth to power” messages and keeping New Horizons out of the fray; always a good sign for me.
For starters, this seems to be the simple way to go; keep politics etc. restricted to my Anastasia The Storyteller and Exploring Your Dark Side sites, especially as it become clearer and clearer that my personal/professional heart and soul has a great deal of political perspective at its core.
This is what Watergate brought me; the political became the personal. And Donald Trump as president has now invited those lessons I learned through Nixon's White House into the fore, for a major revisiting.
But now, lo and behold, a new shape has appeared with New Horizons partnering with StoryCorps to bring about our new Storytelling Workshop Series. Much like the pieces of a kaleidoscope making a fresh picture. Without changing the pieces at all, we might just be shaking them up a bit and giving ourselves a new image for ourselves.
You can hear my story of how that came about on my Anastasia The Storyteller Radio Show program titled Tranquility In The Era Of Trump: A Personal Story.
New Horizons and myself, fellow travelers on the road to raising ourselves to our higher vibrations; may not always be perfectly in step, as in sometimes my stories might not be appropriate fare for non-profit dining. Still we seem, now, to be beginning a new chapter. And, not too be far off from one another as I, a bona fide online storyteller, now take up the leadership of the New Horizons Small “Zones of Peace” Storytelling Workshop series, our next new project, focusing on community-bridge building, one person at a time.
So far so good, judging by the response we are getting. As I stated earlier, we have already heard from folks as far away as Uganda. And in this country, we have heard from people from coast to coast, as far East as Boston and as far West as California. Indicators suggest we are tapping into something, with our intention to bring storytelling in, front and center, to address the very human yearning to connect, striving for fulfillment, albeit somewhat hidden in staking out zones of importance, at times, these days, often only with like-minded others to increase one’s strength of conviction and entitlement.
New Horizons has now discovered that while many people in our country or communities may not be quite so eager to come together for group conversations, having to do with overcoming polarization, we are now beginning to see that one person by one person, listening to and telling our stories still remains a basic human need.
As one of the people who has, so far, reached out to us, regarding our new Storytelling Workshop Series and its great potential, stated –
And -- person-to-person, live, if you are in our neighborhood (Frederick, Maryland, specifically, and the 100 mile radius of the Washington White House, more generally) –
For Details and Reservations, Contact: Anastasia Rosen-Jones
Email: HarpersFerryNH@aol.com Cell: 240.409.5347
Begins Sunday, September 24, 4:00 p.m. on the
Anastasia The Storyteller Radio Show.
The surprises we come up with when we put ourselves and our voices out to others are never ending. I’ve been getting requests to sign up for New Horizons Small “Zones of Peace” Storytelling Workshop Series from people around the world, as far as Uganda. What a wonderful surprise this has been!
Just when New Horizons and myself had gotten to thinking there was no way for us to be useful with our community bridge building programs, given the current social and political polarization, we came up with an alternative to our signature program, Coffee House Conversations -- our new Storytelling Workshop Series.
We were just beginning to get used to our new normal of living with the notion that now might be the season to honor polarization, even with its downsides – and – let go of striving for unity, as a priority. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, out popped the idea of our partnering with StoryCorps and taking dialogue at New Horizons to a whole new level; setting up a program to tell and hear personal stories, in depth, especially those related to how people are feeling about and dealing with the “new normal” throughout our country and in our local communities.
We had started to accept that the present time might be the season for people to stake out their territories insofar as values and needs that had not been given due attention, like the feisty pups we sometimes mimic, even the snappish ones. But, for a time, beginning with last November’s election fall out, that did not seem to leave us with a viable path for our version of community service -- community dialogue.
What to do? What to do? We wondered and worried.
Then there was, also, the factor of my, Anastasia, needing to clearly separate my voice from the official voice of New Horizons. I, too, had reached a point where I needed to be more and more vocal about the values I hold to be important. The political had, indeed, become both the personal and professional for me that went beyond the scope of New Horizons and its small “zones of peace” building agenda.
It wasn’t that unity had ceased to matter to me. It was more that I sometimes took a long range path to getting there. After all, I had invested the past forty plus years of my life developing a comprehensive understanding, personally and professionally, of how the Dark Side of humanity operates and how to transform it. As most of us know, transforming the Dark Side is no simple task. Thus my voice on the subject, timely as it is for today’s circumstances, needs to be aired in a manner, not always seemingly in harmony with New Horizons.
We, New Horizons and I, do not truly have different destinations in mind, but sometimes we have divergent ways of reaching the objective; the greatest good for the greatest number of people in the most loving and compassionate ways possible. Thus my approaches do not always appear to be copacetic with those of New Horizons.
But ask yourself, how could New Horizons and myself genuinely be of different minds when I am the original architect of the project?
Still it seemed, for a time, as if New Horizons and myself might need to part company to keep our voices clear and defined, according to the strictures of non-profit regulations. Now it is looking more and more like we might just be needing to rearrange the playing pieces. That is if I can keep my thoughts on politics and other partisan affairs off this site, as in keep them limited to my Anastasia The Storyteller and Exploring Your Dark Side sites.
So far, so good, nonetheless, if you think we are still needing to do more self-defining to keep ourselves in pure non-profit compliance, please let us know your viewpoint. We will get right on it to clear up any fuzziness.
On my end, however, our policing board member, Lisa, seems to be satisfied with how I am speaking my “truth to power” messages and keeping New Horizons out of the fray; always a good sign for me.
For starters, this seems to be the simple way to go; keep politics etc. restricted to my Anastasia The Storyteller and Exploring Your Dark Side sites, especially as it become clearer and clearer that my personal/professional heart and soul has a great deal of political perspective at its core.
This is what Watergate brought me; the political became the personal. And Donald Trump as president has now invited those lessons I learned through Nixon's White House into the fore, for a major revisiting.
But now, lo and behold, a new shape has appeared with New Horizons partnering with StoryCorps to bring about our new Storytelling Workshop Series. Much like the pieces of a kaleidoscope making a fresh picture. Without changing the pieces at all, we might just be shaking them up a bit and giving ourselves a new image for ourselves.
You can hear my story of how that came about on my Anastasia The Storyteller Radio Show program titled Tranquility In The Era Of Trump: A Personal Story.
New Horizons and myself, fellow travelers on the road to raising ourselves to our higher vibrations; may not always be perfectly in step, as in sometimes my stories might not be appropriate fare for non-profit dining. Still we seem, now, to be beginning a new chapter. And, not too be far off from one another as I, a bona fide online storyteller, now take up the leadership of the New Horizons Small “Zones of Peace” Storytelling Workshop series, our next new project, focusing on community-bridge building, one person at a time.
So far so good, judging by the response we are getting. As I stated earlier, we have already heard from folks as far away as Uganda. And in this country, we have heard from people from coast to coast, as far East as Boston and as far West as California. Indicators suggest we are tapping into something, with our intention to bring storytelling in, front and center, to address the very human yearning to connect, striving for fulfillment, albeit somewhat hidden in staking out zones of importance, at times, these days, often only with like-minded others to increase one’s strength of conviction and entitlement.
New Horizons has now discovered that while many people in our country or communities may not be quite so eager to come together for group conversations, having to do with overcoming polarization, we are now beginning to see that one person by one person, listening to and telling our stories still remains a basic human need.
As one of the people who has, so far, reached out to us, regarding our new Storytelling Workshop Series and its great potential, stated –
I think it (the Storytelling Workshop Series) is such an important and desperately needed piece of the road forward right now!If you think so too, join Steve Lebherz, New Horizons Board Member, and myself, next Sunday, October 1 at 4 p.m. as we take next steps, with you, to make storytelling, one person at a time, an important endeavor in reaching for that pinnacle of what our heritage of being human, in the fullest sense, heart to heart, offers us. After all, we are all a part of the ONE!
Sunday, September 25
4:00 p.m.
And -- person-to-person, live, if you are in our neighborhood (Frederick, Maryland, specifically, and the 100 mile radius of the Washington White House, more generally) –
Storytelling Workshop Series:
A Vehicle For Overcoming Today’s Social and Political Polarization
2:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Frederick Friends Meeting House
723 N. Market Street Frederick, Maryland 21701
For Details and Reservations, Contact: Anastasia Rosen-Jones
Email: HarpersFerryNH@aol.com Cell: 240.409.5347
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Storytelling Workshop Series To Focus On Community Bridge Building, One Person At A Time
What if instead of turning your back on someone who looks or sounds different than you, you decide to lean into that person?
With one idea or another, in your mind and heart you, move toward that person instead of away. You consider making a new acquaintance or friend out of someone you might otherwise consider to even be an enemy. Instead of seeing that person as someone who could or would bring danger into your life, you open to learning about their view of the world as being a gift for you, in some ways that might surprise you.
After all, it's been said that -
"An enemy is one whose story you haven’t yet heard." Gene Knudsen Hoffman, Quaker Peace ActivistSo it makes sense that, if you share stories with those you would not ordinarily, you take a different route, possibly an opposite direction -- and -- create some kind of bond.
Perhaps you might even have the beginning of a friendship, or possibly someone with whom you might endeavor to solve a neighborhood or community problem. At the minimum, you will have brought some new thing – you -- to a stranger. And that is gift enough!
Eric Berne M.D., the psychiatrist who developed Transactional Analysis, my psychology home base, answered the question he posed in the title of his last book, What Do You Say After You Say Hello this way –
“To say Hello rightly is to see the other person, to be aware of him as a phenomenon, to happen to him and to be ready for him to happen to you."If you took the initiative to approach another person, even five or ten times in a year, in your neighborhood or community, imagine how different that place might be for you and those someone elses.
Storytelling is something you can do as your next step after “Hello.”
We, at the New Horizons Small “Zones of Peace” Project hope you will be inspired to learn the art of storytelling and story listening we are getting ready to offer at our –
Saturday, October 14, November 4 (this event postponed in lieu of pending series at local college), and December 2, 2017
2:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Reserve early, space is limited!
Monday, September 18, 2017
Up To My Ears In Stories
Storytelling, as a respectable, almost ordinary activity is beginning to infiltrate my daily life these days, like never before. I barely know how to make sense of it and what is happening for me because of it.
For example, this morning I had occasion to talk, at length, to a senior colleague of mine I have known for close to forty-five years. Something -- I don’t quite remember what it was at the moment -- got us talking yesterday in such a way that, unexpectedly, brought me to share a few important pieces of who I am with her that were a total surprise to her.
 |
| Stories Everywhere! |
Well, one thing led to another. And before you know it, yesterday’s sharing between us led to our having a follow up conversation this morning for three and one-half hours, exchanging stories back and forth!
Would you believe that!!!
Storytelling, spontaneously, brought she and I to cross a bridge to one another we were not even aware we needed to cross.
OMG!!
And somehow I am changed by this.
You are, too, when storytelling enters your life, filling a role for human connectedness you probably had no idea needed gratifying.
But there it is, as close as the very next person you encournter!
A “yearning for an unknown something better,” fulfilled, is how our Beloved Murat might describe it; a heretofore unrealized need for human bonding, coming about in a most unexpected way.
The potential is there always “where two or more are gathered in His name.”
Isn’t that awesome; almost like bringing magic into your life, available all around you, almost everywhere, if you will just stop a moment and “smell the roses,” so to speak.
I love it!!
Stories, everywhere; yours, mine and ours.
Makes me think of Anne Frank's thought --
How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.Today can be that day of yours to "starting to improve the world." Storytelling can be your vehicle. Poor, dear Anne Frank gave us hers through her diary and did not live to know what a difference her stories made to people around the world.
We can make a difference too through our storytelling -- and -- listening through the support of New Horizons, partnering with StoryCorps. Your stories, too, can be held in perpetuity and shared with others, as were Anne's. And stored at the Library of Congress through StoryCorps.
How incredibly awesome!
We will be glad to show you how to make a beginning at our coming --
First session, October 14, 2017. Details here.
As for me, I think I will go off and contemplate this for a while, now, and see what happens next in this magical day of mine!
Saturday, September 16, 2017
We Want "You" -- And -- Your Stories
New Horizons’ Small “Zones of Peace” Project Wants You --And --Your Stories -
Participate in helping us build an archives of Frederick County’s citizen stories – and beyond to the entire 100 mile radius from the Washington White House through –
The “Official” New Horizons Small "Zones Of Peace" Storytelling Collection
Partnering with StoryCorps’ “Listening Is An Act Of Love” Project
FAQ: Why Frederick County?
Answer: Because we have chosen Frederick County, Maryland as our model small “zone of peace.” But a “zone of peace can be anywhere!
How you can participate –
1. Find yourself a storytelling peace buddy.
(The deal here is that you partner with someone who: 1. Has the StoryCorps app; 2. Will listen to your story and record it for our archives, connected to the StoryCorps archives at the Library of Congress.)
2. Attend one or more of the New Horizons Storytelling Workshops Series. (See details on our separate “Storytelling Workshop Series” information sheet.)
3. Invite us to present one or more of the segments of our Storytelling Workshop Series to your family, friends, community, group or organization. (With this option you can become your own StoryCorps Community. We will show you how.)
About the New Horizons’ Small “Zones of Peace” --
Storytelling Workshop Series:
A Vehicle For Overcoming Today’s Social and Political Polarization
Join us at our storytelling, story “listening” workshops! We will–
Saturday, October 14, November 4, and December 2, 2017
Be sure to read our many articles on the theme of storytelling at:
Participate in helping us build an archives of Frederick County’s citizen stories – and beyond to the entire 100 mile radius from the Washington White House through –
The “Official” New Horizons Small "Zones Of Peace" Storytelling Collection
Partnering with StoryCorps’ “Listening Is An Act Of Love” Project
FAQ: Why Frederick County?
Answer: Because we have chosen Frederick County, Maryland as our model small “zone of peace.” But a “zone of peace can be anywhere!
How you can participate –
1. Find yourself a storytelling peace buddy.
(The deal here is that you partner with someone who: 1. Has the StoryCorps app; 2. Will listen to your story and record it for our archives, connected to the StoryCorps archives at the Library of Congress.)
2. Attend one or more of the New Horizons Storytelling Workshops Series. (See details on our separate “Storytelling Workshop Series” information sheet.)
3. Invite us to present one or more of the segments of our Storytelling Workshop Series to your family, friends, community, group or organization. (With this option you can become your own StoryCorps Community. We will show you how.)
About the New Horizons’ Small “Zones of Peace” --
Storytelling Workshop Series:
A Vehicle For Overcoming Today’s Social and Political Polarization
Join us at our storytelling, story “listening” workshops! We will–
- Help you learn to be an interesting storyteller;
- Help you learn to be an eager and curious listener of the stories of others;
- Help you develop the skill of using your storytelling – and – “listening” skills to go beyond polarization to be a community bridge-builder (also with your family, friends and work associates);
- Teach you how and why “leaning in” and dialogue rather than debate work to build healthier communities;
- Provide you with a non-partisan, supportive environment within which to discuss and sort out some of the stress our current social and political climate may be causing you.
Storytelling Workshop Series
A Vehicle For Overcoming Today’s Social and Political Polarization
Saturday, October 14, November 4, and December 2, 2017
2:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Frederick Friends Meeting House
723 N. Market Street
Frederick, Maryland
Be sure to read our many articles on the theme of storytelling
Reserve early, space is limited!
Donations are encouraged, suggested amount: $20.
Be sure to read our many articles on the theme of storytelling at:
For Details and Reservations, Contact: Anastasia Rosen-Jones
Email: HarpersFerryNH@aol.com Cell: 240.409.5347
Your opportunity to have your personal story archived, for infinity, in the StoryCorps/Small “Zones of Peace” Library of Congress collection.
Friday, September 8, 2017
Announcing New Horizons' Storytelling Workshop Series
New Horizons’ Small “Zones of Peace” Project Presents --
The Storytelling Workshop Series:
A Vehicle For Overcoming Today’s Social and Political Polarization
Partnering with StoryCorps’ “Listening Is An Act Of Love” Project
Join us at our storytelling, story “listening” workshops! We will–
Having done our best to select our elected officials, our next steps are to help ensure that our citizen wishes are linked to our First Amendment rights, including our rights to freedom of speech, a free press, to peaceably assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Along with these freedoms, we have the right to tell our stories – and – to listen to the stories of others. From storytelling – and story “listening,” we gain insight, inspiration, connection, new found levels of wisdom and creative solutions to problems we are presently facing.
That’s the “Zones of Peace” way, the exceptional way, the life as art way.
To help you cope with a changing America, New Horizons now sets off on its next “zones of peace” building project: showing you how to develop your storytelling and story "listening"skills in the service of creating a better tomorrow, today!
For Details and Reservations, Contact: Anastasia Rosen-Jones
Email: HarpersFerryNH@aol.com Cell: 240.409.5347
The Storytelling Workshop Series:
A Vehicle For Overcoming Today’s Social and Political Polarization Partnering with StoryCorps’ “Listening Is An Act Of Love” Project
Join us at our storytelling, story “listening” workshops! We will–
- Help you learn to be an interesting storyteller;
- Help you learn to be an eager and curious listener of the stories of others;
- Help you develop the skill of using your storytelling – and – “listening” skills to go beyond polarization to be a community bridge-builder (also with your family, friends and work associates);
- Teach you how and why “leaning in” and dialogue rather than debate work to build healthier communities;
- Provide you with a non-partisan, supportive environment within which to discuss and sort out some of the stress our current social and political climate may be causing you.
Having done our best to select our elected officials, our next steps are to help ensure that our citizen wishes are linked to our First Amendment rights, including our rights to freedom of speech, a free press, to peaceably assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Along with these freedoms, we have the right to tell our stories – and – to listen to the stories of others. From storytelling – and story “listening,” we gain insight, inspiration, connection, new found levels of wisdom and creative solutions to problems we are presently facing.
That’s the “Zones of Peace” way, the exceptional way, the life as art way.
To help you cope with a changing America, New Horizons now sets off on its next “zones of peace” building project: showing you how to develop your storytelling and story "listening"skills in the service of creating a better tomorrow, today!
Saturday, October 14, November 11, and December 2, 2017
2:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Frederick Friends Meeting House
723 N. Market Street
Frederick, Maryland
Be sure to read our many articles on the theme of storytelling
Reserve early, space is limited!
Donations are encouraged, suggested amount: $20.
Email: HarpersFerryNH@aol.com Cell: 240.409.5347
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