When you really pay attention, it's amazing to discover how few people are really good at the art of listening. There have been a number of instances over these last few months where it seems as if I'm whispering into the wind when I try to engage in conversations. It's really quite disheartening to feel invisible, especially as I noticed it was happening in all walks of my life. Fortunately, before I definitively decided that I was a major loser and before the minor bruises on my ego grew too large, I noticed that it frequently happens to others as well. I think that despite living in the age of "easy conversation" - text messages, email, IM, twitter, facebook, and blogs - we have simply forgotten how to really listen to each other. It's a passive and gentle art, and one that takes patience and concentration. I suppose it's no surprise, then, that it is rare to find in today's fast-paced society with the focus on instant gratification.It takes two to speak the truth: one to speak, and another to hear. - Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)
That's me and E swimming in Walden Pond a couple of weeks ago, after walking around it to find the location of Thoreau's cabin.
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