30 October 2015

Emily McDowell
chronicling the human condition since 1976

Silence can become contagious.  Simon and Garfunkel spoke to this lyrically in their classic song ‘The Sound of Silence’—

…The words of the prophets are written on the bathroom walls and tenement halls…

But the power of speaking up is contagious, too.  I’m encouraged and bolstered by the kind of honest dialog that occurs in a respectful and open environment.

The experience of the free-write class I took and my friend’s account of the listening/speaking exercise reminds me that each of us has an underground that is rich and alive, affecting how we perceive and respond to experience.  It reminds me that we are more than we admit or know.  And so are the people we love.

Quiet supportive listening can be the open door to getting to know who we and our loved ones really are.

When a mother picks up her child, asks ‘what happened?’, and listens earnestly to her child’s account of the mishap, she is using this power of attentive caring.  This, with a tender kiss on the skinned knee, is a magical balm.