LISTEN

I've learned something about myself over the last several years -- that my auditory sense is my strongest, and it prevails over the others. It's been an interesting discovery, not only to learn this about myself, but to notice how it's different than many others. It's certainly not any better than others, but I just think we live in such a visual world, that the auditory is often overlooked. For example, when I was in graduate school, taking a group counseling class, I remember a fellow student sharing ideas about discussion seed starters. One was a question posed to the group: if you HAD to choose, would you become blind or deaf? I was the only one in the class who said without hesitation: blind. And this puzzled my classmates. I realized then how important my auditory sense was to me. Since then, I have noticed several other aspects of my life that highlight the auditory sense. Another example is one that I have noticed during interactions with people I didn't know, but recognized. The strange thing is, I didn't recognize them visually, but auditorily. Instead of saying, "I think I've seen you before" I ended up saying to them, "I recognize your voice, have we met?" Sure enough, one person had participated in a singing group with me, and another, I had known previously, but not well. It was the sound of their voice that stayed in my memory. This has happened to me many times -- with acquaintances or famous people, etc. Also, sounds have an emotional attachment in my memory, which is probably true for a lot of people. I heard the sound of traffic in Buenos Aires, and it immediately took me back to my emotional experience in Honduras, years ago. There's also the voices of my childhood that bring a flood of nostalgia: Garrison Keillor, Alan Alda, Margo Thomas, John Denver, and much more. Obviously music has the power of stimulating emotional memory as well.

I've found a song that is new to me, and I'm excited to learn it. I find a special meaning in the song personally because of the insight I have gained about my auditory experiences. I'm going to post the words, and if you'd like to hear it, just find it on the playlist to the right, and double click on it. Enjoy!

I Hear Them all

I hear the crying of the hungry in the deserts where they’re wandering
Hear their crying out for heaven’s own benevolence upon them
Hear destructive power prevailing, I hear fools falsely hailing
To the crooked wits of tyrants when they call

I hear them all, I hear them all, I hear them all.

I hear the sounds of tearing pages and the roar of burning paper
All the crimes and acquisitions turn to air and ashen paper
And the rattle of the shackle far beyond emancipator
And the loneliest who gather in their stalls

I hear them all, I hear them all, I hear them all.

So while you sit and whistle Dixie with your money and your power
I can hear the flowers growing in the rubble of the towers
I hear leaders quit their lying, I hear babies quit their crying
I hear soldiers quit their dying one and all.

I hear them all, I hear them all, I hear them all.

I hear the tender words from Zion, I hear Noah’s water fall
Hear the gentle lamb of Judah sleeping at the feet of Buddah
And the prophets from Elijah to the old high youth Provaca
Take their places at the table when they’re called

I hear them all, I hear them all, I hear them all. (x2)