See a photo of Jim, his bio, and Part 1 of this Q&A.

Q&A with Jim Ballard, Question 2:

Q: What motivated you to write some of your books as fables, notably your work with Ken Blanchard, the story you wrote with your wife of adult children who are facing having to move their aging parents out of the home they’ve occupied for 40 years, and your spiritual fable, Little Wave and Old Swell?

A: I’ll focus on No Ordinary Move; Relocating Your Aging Parents — A Guide for Boomers, the book my wife Barbara and I have published in both paperback and audio-book form. In operating her senior move manager business for 14 years, Barbara has amassed a host of stories from the many moves she’s helped clients make. When it came to our putting the strategies and wisdom she’s accumulated into a book targeted at adult children facing this issue, it was plain that the usual how-to approach (omniscient voice saying, “Do this, do that,” laced with case studies) would not work for us. We wanted to convey the emotional issues for both the adult children and the aging parents. We wanted to treat the inter-generational points in a way that would help readers understand “the other side.” Storytelling was the answer; in this particular case, it was the way to round in so many of the stories Barbara had heard and been a part of. Seniors and family members, when given the chance, become natural storytellers during the process of a move. Storytelling can produce deep understanding and healing in families.

We created a fictitious family who are facing this issue, and followed their inner and outer journeys through the eight stages of a move. We included all the frustration and consternation people feel with their older parents, the resistance and fears that the parents feel, and the sense of overwhelm both groups experience when they face a major move. We also inserted a wisdom voice in the character of Moving Mentor, the professional move facilitator. The depths of wisdom Barbara has gleaned through her work are revealed in Moving Mentor’s journal entries. This particular instance of storytelling has already given countless people insights into how to help their parents relocate. It also teaches senior move managers to be aware of the opportunities for storytelling inherent in the work they do.