Listen and Learn

All of my life I have been a good listener. A good listener learns a lot. Some have called me a "Jack of all Trades and a Master of None". I don't know about that last part, but I do know that I am comfortable around people of many professions and I can do the work of many people. And I credit much of it to listening. I always enjoyed people who talked excitedly about a project they were working on and how they did this and how they did that. It's details I like the most. Not bragging about getting something new or how they did something "fantastic", but sharing about how they did something that they found challenging, or they did because they could and because it needed to be done. Or an experience they had that few others would have the opportunity to have. They would answer questions I asked and sometimes would ask me to work with them on future projects.  

I also listened to people's problems. It's amazing how few problems you have yourself when you hear others talk about their lives. Sometimes I don't know how or why they live their lives the way they do. But I guess it helps them to talk about it, so I do my part in helping.

But now I'm done! It use to be that when people engaged in a conversation they would talk a bit, then listen a bit, and then talk some more. Now it seems that people only want to TALK and TALK and TALK. They never stop talking long enough for someone like myself - polite and courteous - to get a word in edgewise. I blame a lot of it on caffeine. I don't drink products with caffeine very often, but everyone else wakes up in the morning and downs a gallon of Mountain Dew. They think they need it to "get going". Maybe they should try sleeping instead. And exercise! Wait, that's another topic. Back to listening and talking.

I am amazed at how people think that conversation should only include topics about themselves. Maybe they think I'm not really paying attention and that I too think only of myself so that whatever they say will be replaced by my own selfish self-hype. Oh boy, are they wrong. For one thing, they never let me get my thoughts out because they interrupt me when I do try to say something. And that just makes me close up and tune them out. Seems that the older I get the more honest I get with my feelings, so I no longer consider it rude to just walk away from someone when I figure out that they are only talking to me to so that they can brag about themselves, and that they really couldn't care less about me.

Anyway, this blog is my chance to share MY stories and experiences. You can close this anytime you want, but I hope you find some of it interesting and informative. Let me know.
Thanks.