Listen! Really listen!

MissPerfect says--As long as I can remember I've been pretty much the nicest gal I know. Ask anybody who knows me and they'll tell you that's true, unless of course they're big, fat dummies.  Listen MissPerfect, you have figured yourself out perfectly.  Just perfectly.  I agree with your evaluation.  

I was at a friend's funeral and talked to another friend.  She told me about the sayings of a friend of hers from church.  One of the sayings was--Will it make any difference 10 years from now? This gal is my superseniorneighborM.  Soooooo I went over to here place and we talked about those sayings.  She was giddy with excitement that we talked about her sayings.  She said she learned them from her parents.  She said--Our parents didn't preach to us but just used these little sayings and just lived their lives.  I guess my brother and I just listened to the little saying that mom and dad said and formed our lives around them.  When I left, she said I made her day and still was just chattering away.  It would never happened if my friend would not have said something to me at the funeral.  Huh, interesting!

ItchieBitchie says--Let me tell you what I would do it I were you! Listen! Listen! Listen carefully! Shut off all of the noise around you so that you can hear what is being spoken to you. We have spent three days in CO with good friends Hank and Becky.  We stayed with James, Heather, Erin and little Jimmer (i.e. our daughter and family).  CO provides opportunities that are fun for us. A special environment for me to listen.  I did some listening.  I hope I heard right.  

Saturday I biked from Frisco to top of Vail pass with Secretariat and and SuperWoman.  What am I thinking?  It's just not a small daily happening folks, it's 1,550 feet of gain in elevation (i.e. total ride of 28 miles).  But going down, I felt pretty good! But I did a lot of listenin' and it was good!  But my body doesn't always agree (i.e. it says to me--what are you doing to me).  

 
The next day we hiked a CO 14ner, Torreys Peak 14, 267 feet (i.e. got up at 4:15 started hiking at 6.  What am I doing?  For Secretariat and SuperDude it's a piece of cake but for me it's a piece of grizzle (i.e. these guys are animals folks)!  It rained and snowed and was windy.  I turned around before the summit (i.e. will it make a difference 10 years from now).  Secretariat and Super Dude went to the summit in a snow storm.  They said only maybe 5 folks made it out of the approximate 200  hikers on the trail.  Listen folks, listen, I am very happy I can do these things.  Very happy.  I really enjoyed doing them.  It was a hoot.  Of all the hikers, I only saw maybe 3 other guys my age.  Most were under 30.  What am I doing!!  I had a neat environment to listen. and that is what I did.  

This picture says it all folks.  James says I'm a Poster Child of some Iowan ill prepared for the change in weather (i.e. disaster).  He gave me his wool socks for my hands and his cap for my head.  I wish he would have brought along more stuff for me!  And he said--All the good stuff I was wearing they gave to me!  He asked me where those good gloves they gave me where--I told him they are at home in the garage!  He just shock his head. It was just starting to snow as you can see.  Hey, isn't your son-in-law suppose to help ya!  Such is life.

I was walking home from my sunset walk the other night and noticed through my neighbor's window that she was watching baseball.  I mentioned it to one of her grandsons at the golf course.  He told me that she really likes baseball.  He also told me that she still makes bread each week.  Soooo I went and saw my superneighborH.  She made me a loaf of bread.  He's  92!

When a Dr. says something you listen folks!  Oh ya!  I read this while eating my oatmeal with half a banana on it--Dr.David says--Robert Burns was plowing a field one day when he inadvertently destroyed a mouse's nest. Seeing the destruction at his feet, the poet realized his plowing had upended all the plans the mouse had made for winter. It was late in the season, and now the mouse, which had carefully prepared for the coming snows, was in a fight for survival. That’s what led Burns to write "To a Mouse," which includes one of the most famous lines in poetry: "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft agley [go often awry]." 

 Joesixpack says--Listen folks, it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular!  


Listen folks, will it make any difference 10 years from now?  I mean, will it make any difference if it takes another half hour or hour to do our bike trip or hike to the peak?  Really?  Will we remember how fast we did it our will we remember the memories and how it we made each other feel?  What do you think?  LuckieEddie says--Folks don't always remember what you did for them or what you said, but they do remember how you made them feel.  I was walking home from my walk on the golf course at sun set the other night and a friend and I had a very delightful, enlightening conversation (i.e. real).  She told me that we need to tell folks that we care for them (i.e. I think that is wisdom folks).  What do you think?  WildWillie says--Get around good folks and listen to what they have to say.  Really listen!

Pikes Peak or Bust!  They thought I did it on purpose; listen folks, I didn't.  I told them that our departure time on the Cog at Pikes Peak was at 9:40.  I checked in the morning and it was 10:40.  Everyone was ready ON TIME!.  When we got down off Pikes Peak, we  had a picnic in Manitou Springs (i.e. let the kids run around).  There were some homeless folks there hangin' out.  A gal, maybe 20, and her brother maybe a couple of years older came to the park with a grocery cart full of brown bags which contained food.  They passed them out to the homeless, talked briefly, and petted their dogs etc.  They didn't preach to them and didn't make a big deal out of it.  I went over to them and talked.  I asked them what their agenda was.  She said--Our mom, my bother and I do this when we have extra money; we think it's the right thing to do.  I wonder folks, what they are listening toooooo (i.e. will it make a difference 10 years from now).

SusieQ says--It's hard to know when to shut up!  LuckieEddie says--In today’s society, it appears that everyone is trying to prove how much they know to impress people they don’t know.  I wonder if we are really sharing knowledge… JoeBlow says--Silence can not be quoted!

Saturday question--Listen folks, will what you and I do and say and think today make any difference 10 years from now?  

Have a FUN day my friends unless you have other plans. (-:

erv

MyFriendJean says--Learn to pause--or nothing worth while can catch up to you.

PS Four Ways To Listen #1. An Unrelated Response: Example: "I lost $l,000 at the racetrack last night!" 

Your Response: "I went to see "The Expendables III" It was great. I went to see it because MovieFoot.com recommended it... -BLAH1 BLAH1 BLAH" Reaction: When do I get to talk about my $1,000 and why aren't you wanting to listen to my telling you about it? That's why I started telling you about it! #2. A Tangential Response Same Example: "I lost a $1,000 at the racetrack last night!" Your Response: "You did? I lost $3,000 there a couple of weeks ago and you know what happened, I.... -BLAH! BLAH! BLAH!"
Reaction: "Same as the reaction above, only now, "Why are you taking the football out of my hand and running for your own touchdown?" #3. A Furthering Response Same Example: "I lost $1,000 at the racetrack last night!" Your Response: "You did? How did you do that?" Reaction: Now I get to talk further about what I first introduced to you because you want to listen further to what I want to say! Good! #4. A Feeling Response Same Example: "I lost $1,000 at the racetrack last night!" Your Response: "Oh! That's a chunk of change! I bet that really hurt, huh?" Reaction: Now you are asking me how I felt about it, rather than what happened. I am free to tell you how I feel about losing and how much it meant to me. Wow!
NOTE: A poll discovered that ones and twos were used 80% of the time! Listen Wisely! ~Author Unknown~  Dr.Ben (i.e. every one listens to a doctor) says--To ignore the facts does not change the facts! Dr.George (i.e. everyone listens to a doctor) says--Money can't buy class!