I'm sorry, did you say something?

We all say we are good at it, we all pretend to be, we want it from others, why is it,  no one listens anymore?

Yes, each of us at some point in time was too pre-occupied with something else, and said those fateful words "Yes, I heard you" to only have that moment come back and bite us right on the ass!

My favorite writer and one of my heroes said it best:

I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.

 

 E. Hemingway

 

 

I admit, there are times I haven't listened. We all have. who as a child standing by mommy in the kitchen and reaching to touch the boiling pot on the stove top, and hearing her say "Don't touch that, you will get hurt" then, the moment she averts her eyes, you touch anyway realizing she was right! Lesson learned (hopefully.)

 

Or the time you listened to your heart and not you head and got your heart broken, because no matter how good you felt at the time your heart will break and your head will hurt!

 

I do consider myself a good listener. I am sincere when I say "if you ever need to talk, I will be there for you"

 

I consider myself a better observer though. I may look like I'm disinterested, or uncaring, but usually I am taking in the words, along with my surroundings. One of my best traits is looking ambiguous to all that's going on in a room and knowing all the players and being able to predict their next move with a 94.7%  accuracy! I wish I were that good in my personal life!

 

That's what makes me human though. I'm there for others, but not always there to listen to myself. Something I will work on, as the year unfolds.

 

That's another subject, for another day though.

 

So, next time, when someone says to you "Got a a minute?"  stop what you are doing and give them that minute, that five minutes, or two hours. They may just need someone to care for them for that moment in time, to assure themselves that there are still people who care and are willing to listen! It can make a difference.

 

Until next time...

Everybody hurts

Yes, it's been awhile,  little over a month and a half! I guess I was waiting for the right thought to hit me. I guess lightning struck!

Just relaxing, listening to music, trying to get Monday night over with, and the songs got me thinking.

There are some songs we hate because they bring up sad memories of what could have been(Simple Minds -Don't You Forget About Me) or songs that bring up sad memories of what should have been(Phil Collins -One More Night) or songs that never should have ever been recorded(Bobby McFerrin – Don't Worry Be Happy) Sorry Bobby McFerrin, but every time I hear that song, I only hear fingernails on a chalkboard!

There are other songs that bring up fun times (Bob Marley - Three Little Birds) or (Israel Kamakawiwo'- - Somewhere Over The Rainbow)! Songs like that bring up memories of good times gone by, but not forgotten, and assuredly bound to be repeated!

Others take you to a specific moment, feeling, and emotion(Santana - Europa). Europa always haunts me for 2 reasons, the first, I remember when I first heard it and fell in love with it, and the second, a musician friend of mine knows that story as well, and starts playing it when he spots me in the crowd of the local hot spot he's playing! It brings back many great memories, hanging out with friends, a first kiss on a second date, a slow dance that carried over through the next two songs!

The music we listen to is the soundtrack of our life. Sometimes we are in a great mood and want to hear upbeat music, other times we are melancholy, and want to be taken back to a moment past. There is nothing wrong with that, as long as we don't dwell on what could have been or for that matter, what should have been! Sometimes we are in a dark place and keep listening to the same song over and over(been there, done that).  It doesn't help, it just makes you angry, and that's no way to live life!

My soundtrack of life is filled with most of the above songs I listed(Sorry, Bobby) and many others. Songs I can hear, and like the words I have written, know how I felt the first time I heard them!

Memories, good and bad,  people still in my life, people that have been lost on the path of life, the songs bring them closer to that moment frozen in time, when we were together and a happy tomorrow!

The R.E.M. song Everybody hurts just hit rotation on the Media player!

It can be a sad song,  and yes it's about suicide(REM confirmed that) but it can also be uplifting. When there is no hope left, there's one reason to keep going, whether it's to piss someone off, make a change in society, of just make a change in some one's life you care about! That's reason enough to not give up!

Let the music play!