Listen

Sunrise this morning

Before i become fully awake in the mornings i listen and feel. i try not to use an alarm clock because the jarring noise bothers me and my husband. When i wake i might be on my side when coming out of a deep sleep or on my back. i can actually hear better with both ears exposed and will usually flip to my back before opening my eyes.

i can tell by the sounds of the morning and the feeling of light on my body whether i should roll back over or get out of bed; but its the listening that clinches the decision.

Listening starts my day. i absorb the sounds of the wind rustling the leaves in the trees, the Pearly-eyed Thrashers squawking, the Bananaquits chipping back and forth, the back ground sounds of dogs barking in the distance, and a roosters cock-a-doddle-do. The sounds of the morning mail plane flying over head mean i can sleep another hour but the rush of a car on the road below means people are moving and maybe i've over slept.

White-winged Dove

Listening is a psychological act according to Roland Barthes, a linguist, who claims it is different from hearing which is a biological process. Listening is an art some of us have mastered and some of us haven't.

Listening, really listening takes practice. We can consume sound or we can deny and block it out by ignoring it. At this moment, while you are reading the words printed here, sounds are wrapping you in their embrace. Listen for a minute. What do you hear?

The Buddha said that:

The unlistening one grows like a bull.

His muscles swell, but not his brain or wisdom

East Rust-op-Twist

Many philosophers and holy men have talked about the attributes of listening and i must admit when it comes to personal interactions i am as guilty as the next one of not really listening. i, like many, listen in order to respond not to understand in some of my interactions. But what if we did try to listen and understand even when we are most disinclined to? How would this change the outcome of our interactions with those we most disagree with?

Unfortunately in our fast paced world too many of us don't take the time to actually stop and listen; to our environment, to our friends, our neighbors, and even strangers when out and about. We speak our pieces and move on without really taking the time to slow down and comprehend.

Tide Pool

Sounds are all around us but most days we ignore their call. We ignore the environment screaming at us to pay attention, we ignore those we don't feel an affinity to, we ignore those sounds from nature and our friends that are alerting us to joys we are missing out on. Listening gives us the greatest opportunity to learn and even evoke memories or emotions we might have forgotten about. That bird you hear but don't really, the wind, the trees, your friends and foes...right now...take a moment to listen.

Sunset over Altona Lagoon

“You can't fake listening. It shows.” Raquel Welch

See ya next week