5/21/19:
When we were out on the river today, I had some time to observe the scene. I heard some birds, rustling of the leaves, and the water being paddled. I had in mind the TED talk that we watched. In the TED talk, the presenter talked about how we have gotten so much worse at listening to each other. We have invented ways that distort our ability to listen: writing, cellphones, etc. An example of how insensitive we have become to paying attention is news headlines. Today’s headlines are often capitalized and catchy (something like “CONTROVERSY”). This is what news outlets have to do to get our attention. To combat this, the presenter suggested that we do three things. One of them is to sit in silence for three minutes. During these three minutes, your ears will be “recalibrated” for the rest of the day. He also suggested—if you can’t find a completely quiet place—to discern the different channels of sound you hear, and to notice each and individual entity. Being able to do this helps your listening skills.
Poem:
Take a divot in the land,
Let it cook in the heat of the sun,
Melt a million ice cubes,
Add copious amounts of salt in,
Use the wind to stir it up,
The waves crashing on the shore,
Slowly invading the land,
But the sand fighting back,
And you’ll have the sea.
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