a (not so) big idea

"I like to listen.

I have learned a great deal from listening carefully.

Most people never listen." ~Ernest Hemingway

So yesterday I shook the cobwebs off my teeny-tiny corner of the blogging world, and quickly flew through a post to "update" you on our last few months. It was good. And, I suppose, needed to get me back into the flow. But if I'm being truthful, the real reason for my decision to breathe life back into the Saari page was another idea for a post that was lurking in my thoughts. I have not yet pinpointed why this "idea" has recently blasted into my mind, but it seems worthy of a little investigation!

What is this big, blasting idea?? A day of listening. (*insert mysterious, "dun-dun-dun" music here*)

To listen is defined as:

1: to pay attention to sound (ie.listen to music)
2: to hear something with thoughtful attention; give consideration (listen to a plea)

3: to be alert to catch an expected sound (listen for his step)

Huh. Impressive right?

---Wow. Yep. She's nutty! Who cares? We are all listening all the time... what the heck does she mean, "a day of listening?"... Whoop-dee-do What so great about that idea?---

Stop. Just for a moment or two. Now. Breathe. Listen. Really listen...

What do you hear?

It amazes me when I pause and actually try to hear what is going on around me. There is so much we take in all day long - not really processing or indulging in it. I think back to one winter night a couple of years ago... it was a cold night, the wind was howling, and our power went out. In that moment, the house grew so incredibly quiet. There was no hum from the fridge. No soft tink - - tink - - from the ceiling fan. Nothing but the wind outside... naturally I was more worried about a lack of power and therefore lack of operating heat source to really sit and marvel at the beauty the wind can bring in its song, but it somehow made a dent in my memory. Another evening I can recall quite vividly was much warmer and pleasant. A busy summer day had come and gone. Kids were tucked in. Matt was already at work. And I found myself resting on the front steps. (I do this a lot if you care to know!) The neighborhood was unusually quiet, which being the country girl I am, pleased me quite a bit. I remember sitting there for what felt like a long time, simply listening to the warm breeze rustle through the leaves. That has always been a favorite sound for me. The wind in the leaves. Anyway, what these particular memories share is the sound...listening in the moment...processing...enjoying.

When we actually pay attention, there is a true symphony waiting to amaze. Whether it is in the every day noises... or the sounds of the stillness... something incredibly special or something super ordinary... Just listen.

So, I guess this is why my idea of a day of listening has intrigued me so much. I want to really listen...to hear...and attempt to document all of those moments - big & small. To appreciate them. Just to see... Will I feel a difference?

Tomorrow, I will do just that.

Spend the day listening.