The joy of listening in
“You just look lovely today. Yes, you do-oo. But, I think you’ve eaten too much, so we need to take a walk. You’ll have to wait up for me, don’t get ahead of me too much. We can just walk and talk for a while.”
And with that admonition, the lady who looked like her dog, got up, smiled, and embarked on a slow waddle of a walk along the downtown shopping corridor. Unexpected and delightful.
Perhaps one of the most enjoyable and affordable leisure activities is listening. In a crowded shopping area, restaurant, or park, you might be surprised or well entertained by what you hear!
Don’t be creepy about it, but just casually listen in and look away. Some folks speak in public in a fairly high decibel range. You might even hear something like this:
“So, I understand you have 5000 salt shakers and I’d like to buy them.”
Overheard on a plane. To the best of my eavesdropping ability, I stared blankly at the SkyMall catalogue while he brokered a deal for $2500 and no shipping costs before we took off. Interesting.
“I think you’re great and all, but maybe it’s time we started seeing other people.”
A breakup overheard in a coffee shop while I waited on someone to meet me there. As the conversation developed, I realized that that this was a very mutual breakup. And, he seemed irritated that she beat him to the punch!
Overheard. It’s the joy and sometimes the shock of listening in.
Worth Repeating
I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.
-Ernest Hemingway
