Ordinary Hours: True Stories & Listening Circle — Seattle

Ordinary Hours: True Stories & Listening Circle — Seattle

No one is here to tell you how they succeeded. Only how ordinary they once were.”

Some stories are memorable because something extraordinary happened.

Ordinary Hours is for the others.

The small stories.

Cooking dinner alone for the first time after a relationship ended.

Sitting by yourself in an airport longer than expected.

Missing a familiar place.

Taking the same walk every evening.

A phone call you almost made.

A quiet moment that would never become a keynote, a headline, or a success story — but somehow stayed with you.

Ordinary Hours is a 90-minute gathering for a small group of strangers to share true stories from everyday life and listen to one another without interruption, advice, or pressure to perform.

There is no stage.

There is no presentation.

There is no expectation that your story needs to be dramatic, inspiring, polished, or important.

You may tell a story.

You may speak only once.

You may decide not to speak at all.

Listening is participation.

WHAT THE EVENING LOOKS LIKE

The gathering begins with everyone seated together.

The host opens the evening with a short personal story and explains the listening format.

Guests then move into small circles of approximately four to five people.

Each person who wishes to share may take up to five to seven minutes to tell one true story from ordinary life.

While someone is speaking, the group simply listens.

There is no interruption, critique, coaching, debate, or advice.

After the small-circle portion, everyone returns to the larger group for a brief closing reflection.

Guests who wish to contribute may share one short thought or sentence from the evening.

Speaking during the closing circle is also optional.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO TELL A STORY

Some people may arrive ready to share.

Others may prefer to listen during their first Ordinary Hours gathering.

Both are welcome.

There is no requirement to speak publicly or disclose personal information.

You are encouraged to share only what feels appropriate for a gathering of people you may be meeting for the first time.

WHAT ORDINARY HOURS IS NOT

Ordinary Hours is not a performance event.

It is not a public-speaking competition.

It is not a networking pitch session.

It is not a motivational seminar.

It is not counseling, therapy, medical care, or a mental-health support service.

The host and other attendees are not attending in the role of professional advisers.

The purpose of the evening is simple:

Tell an ordinary story, or listen to one.