Maybe it’s because I’ve reached that pinnacle mid-thirties mark? I don’t know? Whatever the case, I’m learning more about myself.
As a child, my parents would comment that I would come home from school and explode. This after a day of not talking, because I had to be on my best behavior. Didn’t want to disappoint dear old mom and dad, silence was a virtue. One that I tried my hardest to possess, but as my parents said, I would go home and explode. It didn’t matter if no one at all listened to me. I talked to myself, our dog, the air… I still talk to the dog when no one is around…
I remember as a kid, trying to possess that silence virtue, I was concerned that I would lose my voice. Like, it would stop working, if I was silent for too long. I would try to test it out without being heard.
As I grew older, I found my voice. I found it so much that I rarely stopped to listen.
I loved to use my voice. Still do. Only now, I’ve learned to listen.
I wonder how many lives, how many stories, how many relationships – I’ve missed out on because I failed to stop and listen. I’m thankful for the second chances.
Reconnecting with a friend, I realized, I did a lot a talking in the past, he did a lot of listening. He knew a lot about me. I never stopped to listen. I didn’t stop to learn about the other person.
Now, here in the latter half of my thirties, I’ve finally learned what it is to stop and listen.
On the Outside Looking In 