Olympia WA Hosts First Death Cafe
A write up of Death Cafe Olympia WA
By JoanH
Death Café Olympia. Location was as much a part of the experience as the conversation.
On October 24, 2013, a week before the many traditions of Hallow’s Eve, the first Death Café Olympia was held at the downtown Traditions Café and World Folk Art. Known for its community and fair trade practices, the intimate setting of mostly tables for four received high comments and praise. Donations were accepted to cover the donated space, coffee and clean up so generously provided for this event.
About 30 people of the 40 RSVPs attended. The initial 20 spots via a Meetup page - http://www.meetup.com/Death-Cafe-Olympia-WA/ - and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/deathcafeolympia were filled in the first 48 hours.
In early October, with a growing list of interested participants, we opened the room to 40 attendees. Again the RSVP filled quickly. By a show of hands at the event, approximately one half to two-thirds of the group consisted of broadly healthcare related people. This was most likely due to the network reach of the co-hosts when first announced. Regardless, the conversations shared indicated that conversations were personal. Based on event evaluations, a preponderance of people would attend another Death Café, with the majority suggesting a quarterly offering.
The event outline for Death Café Olympia WA was typical: registration, self-serve coffee and cakes, seating at tables (we asked people who arrived together to split up), introductions of hosts. A buzz was underway even before the introductions. Tabletop tents reminded participants of suggested guidelines without agenda.
The openness, deep dialogue and safe space to converse with “strangers” were often cited as “like” about the event. Of the very few “didn’t like” comments, acoustics and group share were noted. Most people simply wanted more time to discuss within their groups! As co-hosts, there was little facilitation required as conversations flow comfortably throughout the room. In fact, we held our own little personal mini-dialogue on death, too!
Through our group share we learned that across the tables the topics included:
• Choices for end-of-life the medical system offers; quality of life issues. (It is noted the WA state has Death w/Dignity option for terminal illness patients, perhaps influential on the end-of-life conversations).
• Fears surrounding death without the “full picture.”
• Many shared personal experiences of death.
• Learning about death – the process.
• Coping with death.
• Visualizing one’s own death.
• Affect of death experiences on own views.
• Finding purpose after loss.
• Death other than physical
• Financial aspects of death.
• Stories!
The list of people interested in attending a Death Café Olympia WA still grows. Plans are underway to host another event in January or February, 2014. With this great start on the “Death Conversation,” it appears there is still much left unsaid.
Death Café Olympia WA thanks Traditions Café and World Folk Art; Cobie Whitten, psycho-ocologist; Ronnie Hacken, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist; and Joan Hitchens, founder, Navigating Grief.
Comments
Hi, I would love to know if you're planning to host any more of these in Olympia. I would be very interested in attending.
Posted by Anne