Can I Get a Witness?

Identify a conversation that matters. Notice what gets in the way. Practice ways to make more honest conversation possible.
About this Event

There are conversations you still have time to have.

Maybe there's someone you wish you could talk to differently.

Maybe there's something you keep editing out—softening, making funny, brushing past, or deciding isn't worth saying.

Or maybe you simply want more of the conversations where you leave feeling like you were actually heard.

Can I Get a Witness? is a playful, interactive gathering about what helps make more honest, meaningful conversation possible.

Together, we'll notice some of the ways we edit ourselves in relationships. We'll explore what listeners do—often with the very best intentions—that can make it harder for someone to say what they really mean. And we'll experiment with a different way of listening: witnessing.

Through guided exercises, storytelling, reflection, and a healthy dose of curiosity, you'll have a chance to:

• Notice what can get in the way of saying what you really mean
• Identify a person or conversation that matters to you
• Practice listening without interrupting, fixing, advising, or making the story about yourself
• Experiment with a few simple ways to help create the conditions for more honest conversation

You'll leave with a conversation in mind—and some practical ways to help make it possible.

No pressure. No performance. No small talk.

This is not a storytelling performance, debate, or group therapy session. You won't be asked to disclose anything you don't want to share, and you do not need a dramatic story or the “right” words.

You can pass. You can participate at your own pace. You can be curious.

The Story Assembly is interested in what happens when we listen differently, speak a little more honestly, and make room for the conversations we aren't always having.

Who came to mind?

Maybe that's a place to start.