Listening

There's something that we all need to learn how to do... "listen."

I woke up about 7 a.m. Wednesday morning last week in New York City instead of Dayton, Ohio. I had been riding on the Greyhound bus for sixteen and one half hours to get there. I was so excited, but I was also nervous. I had been talking to a girl on the bus who sat in front of me; she said that New York City was overwhelming everytime she visited. I heard her. So I was more nervous than I thought I would be. I wasn't sure I would be able to handle New York City alone. I would find out, but I wasn't sure until I began to experience it. It was overwhelming right from the get go.

What is so overwhelming about New York City? It's such an extreme and intense test for all of your senses to come alive and feel, taste, see, hear and smell more than ever before. There are so many people, so many sounds, so many smells, so many tastes, and so many diversive "things" that you take in within a split second. You must be open, calm and aware. It's an awakening that life exists in a different form than you ever experienced before. But I quickly realized that in order to get the most from New York City I would have to take the time to "listen."

I heard so many voices. I heard so many languages. I heard anger, fear, outrage, compassion, strength, weakness, neediness, and the more I listened the more stories I heard from the depths of peoples' souls. It was written all over their faces, the way they dressed, what they were doing and all I had to do was to be open to them to understand. What was interesting was the difference between children and adults. The children try so diligently to mimic their role model; yet when they don't have their walls up the child within pops out when you least expect it. It's enlightening. It's hopeful. It's horrid the way many of the adults in the city speak to their children. Perhaps poverty has something to do with that. Perhaps it's the frustrations of the city and striving to survive within the jungle that causes parents to speak out so wrongly to their little mimes. It's one of the shameful parts of the city. Can the youth overcome it? I am not sure about that. I hope so.

I listened to my daughter when we had dinner and I saw the difficulty of living in the city in her body movements, in her words, in the tension in her voice, the tone of her voice and the seriousness she allowed me to see. If you listen long enough without speaking, which I find incredibly difficult, you will learn everything you need to know. I listened to the pain in her voice. I knew she was in pain but I didn't know why, but I learned. The city takes so much from you but if you are careful it gives you something back in return. You must keep everything in perspective and take in as much positivity as you can so you can cope with the "given negativities" the city proper owns.

I challenge you all to listen tomorrow instead of talking. Keep your mouth shut and just listen to everything. Listen to nature, listen to people, listen to your environment and see what you learn. Listen to your co-workers, listen to your children, listen to your spouse or partner, listen to your own self. Just listen. I challenge you to write back and tell me what you learned. It's extremely intriguing to get into the habit of just listening. See what stories are right in front of you, but you've never noticed because you were too busy talking.

New York City needs us to listen to the people. They are true Americans, the essence of what this country was built around. Be a part of Ground Zero by visiting New York City. Those people died Americans and more as part of what our founding fathers wanted for this entire country. They were living their dream. They were larger than life itself. They died for their country and for what it stands for. I learned to respect those who live in New York City. It's not easy.

Tell me something you know about listening. I'd love to hear it.