Like so many things we take for granted - listening really seems to be on the top of the list. Is it a craft that is honed and tweaked? Or just an innate trait that cannot be expanded? Whatever or wherever it evolved, each individual needs to check their level of skill and explore ways to increase this vital survival tool.
Teenagers seem to lack this basic communication devise. Why; would be a question of the ages when even our most esteemed wisdom seekers seem to lack the answer. Strategically chosen words, tones and volumes don't seem to have an impact - therefore we are left with frustration and dismay.
Some words do seem to penetrate the electrons firing within - seen in stages of succession. Like the athlete who maintains his skill through practice, so too should the behavior of listening be charted.
Peaceful snow. It creates a calm feeling - yet also energizes the child within. Memories of sledding, snow ball fights, the bunny hill and angels in the snow....a time to re-live the seasons gone by.
Laughter and cold, hot chocolate, frozen fingers and toes. Wet clothes hung on the radiator, newspapers underneath catching the melting snow. Shoveling sidewalks and driveways as the flakes continue to multiply. Large mounds of powder piled high enough to jump from, and at times soft enough to fall through. Time stood still as creating another was the agenda at hand.
After hours of play, the accumulation presents itself as a opportunity for earnings. How much should you charge for that walkway or driveway? Five dollars was fair - and ten was a windfall. Yet remembering kindness to the neighbor who could not afford either wages or labor.
The serene city, the usual sounds are muffled allowing the echo of laughter to filter through. And tomorrow will awaken to daily routines that need extra layers of clothes and time. All to incorporate for the blanket of quietness.
