I Listen to Everything and Everyone
But sometimes, I find no one is around to listen to me
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“Part of doing something is listening. We are listening. To the sun. To the stars. To the wind.”
― Madeleine L’Engle
I’m a listener, a giver, a shoulder, a wall, a nodder, a diary, a friend, and so on. I listen so much that it hurts sometimes, as I’m then receiving the brunt of their knowledge, truth, experiences, woes, perceptions, without having the chance to dissect my own, let alone give them a chance for the reciprocated exchange.
Before interacting with new people, no matter the situation, I like to first observe and read the atmosphere and energy before engaging in a conversation. Why? I’m not entirely sure, but it makes me more comfortable to first get a feel for people before they can get a feel for me, once I start talking. But because of that, it’s often interpreted that I like to only listen, therefore never am given the chance to speak much unless asked a question. My voice is muted and weak and very subtle, so when I do have something of value to say and try to chime in, my voice is often carried away by the wind and only the wind, to be heard by the universe (which I guess is actually quite a grand thought).
Perhaps part of why I continue to listen and no longer even try to voice myself in some crowds, is because I’m afraid it might be lost anyway, so why try? But also, I’m known to be a listener, and I feel that more people need to be listened than to listen, so I’ve taken on that role as a listener. Thankfully, I’ve honed in on this skill of mine by listening to everything, not just everyone.
Examples:
- I can hear the trees whisper to one another as the wind subtly creates a sway in their branches and even more so when the birds jump from branch to branch or the squirrels jump from tree to tree. I can simply sit under a tree or brush my hand down its trunk and hear its vibration of energy. Its passion. Its suffering. Its hurt. Its admiration.
- I listen to the moon when it goes through its phases, myself keeping pace with the changes in my own life. I hear the energy it gives off, as if I’m its friend and it, mine. I hear the emotional effects it produces to woman, to man, to oceans, to the Earth, to…
