“Speak up! I can’t hear you!” “Are you talking to me?” “Talk into my GOOD ear.”
Our world is full of noisy chaos, music seems to have to blare to be heard, horns honk, saws buzz, dogs bark, ear buds constantly plugged in, and there is endless noise wherever we go. Sometimes, after going to an event with a lot of people, I just sit in the car afterward to absorb some peaceful quiet. Ahhhh!
I do love the sound of children laughing, crowds cheering, water lapping up against the shore, the roar of ocean waves, good music, and my husband’s whispers in my ear. Sounds from my childhood would include the ice cream truck coming down the street, our cat purring, my family laughing, singing in the church and school choirs, giggles at a slumber party, and my grandpa telling me stories about when he was a kid. Ahhhh, the good old days…
These days, there are different sounds…political ranting and raving, crowds cheering the Oregon Ducks on, conversations filled with cussing and anger, while some are filled with meaningful conversations over coffee or lunch. Oh, I still love my husband’s whispers in my ear too!
Something has happened in our society that certainly affects listening and truly hearing what another person is saying. It is called technology We spend much more time looking at screens of all sizes than we do having face to face conversation. Even when we are sitting with someone talking, we can both be looking at our phones or I-Pads at the same time. We spend more time looking at someone’s forehead than looking them in the eye. It seems we are connected to our phones much more than we are connected with those we care about. We just don’t want to miss a text, email or Facebook post, do we?! I got caught up in it too, until I realized that technology was distracting me from the person in front of me.
Now, I put my phone in my purse before I walk into a restaurant to meet someone, set it aside many times when I am riding in the car or boat or sitting on the deck with my Ivan. Honestly, I still struggle with this sometimes, but I am purposely trying to lessen my time looking at my phone.
This Tuesday at 2-3pm ET, on Chained No More Talk Radio, our guest will be author Becky Harling and we will be talking about “How to Listen So People Will Talk.” We will be discussing conflict resolution, communication skills and concepts, and how we can improve our listening skills in relationships. www.toginet.com This should be good and could be life changing for our listeners!
Starting today, make a point of silencing your phone, putting it away and have face to face conversations with your spouse, children, family and friends. Make your time count and “love the ones you’re with.” Oh, and it doesn’t hurt to spend a good amount of time talking and listening to the Lord God every day either, right?