Another beautiful brilliant and insightful essay Taylor. I love so much about it and it will be one I reread again (as I do so many of your pieces). I especially thank you for pointing out that sound is choiceless most of the time. We do have to make some effort both to attune to and appreciate it and to choose what to listen to. The experience of hearing loss has made me less tolerant of noise and more appreciative of sound, especially the sounds of nature, music and the voices of those I love for fear I may one day no longer hear them at all.
"Listen. I am practicing listening to other people more. This means listening to a broader selection of voices, but it also means less interjecting and interrupting: excitement in a conversation can often result in talking over people in a way I never mean to, but still happens more often than I like. Listen. Less chatting to fill the space between words, more being a witness to another person as they are, more being a quiet companion to others in the mess of life."
This word, listen, has been coming up more and more for me too, Taylor. I loved every reason you went into depth on why listening has been so ever-present for you lately. This paragraph fully captures what I envision embodying listening to look like, and how I want to show up in the world in 2024. Listening more and talking less is a resolution of mine, so this whole piece resonates with me so deeply. You've given me a lot go think about. Thank you for sharing. Thank you for giving me reason to pause, examine sound as feeling, and tune in to the inner expanse of experience 💜
LOVE this Taylor! So beautifully written and something that really resonates with me lately. While I normally kick-started my mornings with coffee & reading on the patio, awakening my mind/body with the fresh air, over the last few months I've ditched the book to simply sit, breathe, watch nature and listen. It's humbling. It's grounding. It takes my eyes and energy out of my seemingly one-lane highway and reminds me of how big this world is, and how often we forget that there are birds chatting overhead, leaves creating music and the branches, in turn, dancing. Listening is so important. And freeing. Loved this! :)
Another beautiful brilliant and insightful essay Taylor. I love so much about it and it will be one I reread again (as I do so many of your pieces). I especially thank you for pointing out that sound is choiceless most of the time. We do have to make some effort both to attune to and appreciate it and to choose what to listen to. The experience of hearing loss has made me less tolerant of noise and more appreciative of sound, especially the sounds of nature, music and the voices of those I love for fear I may one day no longer hear them at all.
Thank you for this beautiful writing of how listening to the sounds in my environment enables me to open up and be present. Such a powerful practice!
"Listen. I am practicing listening to other people more. This means listening to a broader selection of voices, but it also means less interjecting and interrupting: excitement in a conversation can often result in talking over people in a way I never mean to, but still happens more often than I like. Listen. Less chatting to fill the space between words, more being a witness to another person as they are, more being a quiet companion to others in the mess of life."
This word, listen, has been coming up more and more for me too, Taylor. I loved every reason you went into depth on why listening has been so ever-present for you lately. This paragraph fully captures what I envision embodying listening to look like, and how I want to show up in the world in 2024. Listening more and talking less is a resolution of mine, so this whole piece resonates with me so deeply. You've given me a lot go think about. Thank you for sharing. Thank you for giving me reason to pause, examine sound as feeling, and tune in to the inner expanse of experience 💜
LOVE this Taylor! So beautifully written and something that really resonates with me lately. While I normally kick-started my mornings with coffee & reading on the patio, awakening my mind/body with the fresh air, over the last few months I've ditched the book to simply sit, breathe, watch nature and listen. It's humbling. It's grounding. It takes my eyes and energy out of my seemingly one-lane highway and reminds me of how big this world is, and how often we forget that there are birds chatting overhead, leaves creating music and the branches, in turn, dancing. Listening is so important. And freeing. Loved this! :)