When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.
Ernest Hemingway
I’ve become one of those people that has their phone out when other people talk about their day. Not only is it a bad look, it’s really just flat out disrespectful. And, of course, it’s one of the things I am working to fix in myself. It takes conscious effort not to default to half-listening and I hate that I’ve slipped into this mode.
A little point of clarification on that first part – it’s not that I take out my phone when people start talking, it’s that I seem to always have it on hand and fail to put it away when I’m being spoken to. Not much better, but maybe a small saving face. Regardless, part of this journey of constant self-reflection and seeking betterment is seeing where I’m failing and working to fix it, so here I am.
I’ve started to leave my phone behind when we go places. Obviously, it’s a lot easier to not be distracted by something when it’s not there. That’s all well and good, but I can’t exactly live life completely detached from the damn thing, so I’ve been working on doing one better this past week. Someone talks in my direction, it goes in the pocket. Easy-peasy.
If I’m being honest – and that’s what this is all about, yes? – sometimes it can annoy me that I’ve got to put it away. I’m somebody who can get a little grumpy when I’m in the middle of something and my attention gets pulled elsewhere. But, to put it bluntly, to Hell with that. Nothing, and I mean nothing, that I’m picking up on this little handheld information purveyor could ever be as important as the people around me that want my time. Nothing. Ever.
We only have so much time on this planet, and even less of it spent in meaningful moments with our friends and family. Every second of that time should be treated with the value it has.
And so, to that point, that’s all for today. I’m out of town spending time with family and every moment I spend here is one less I’m with them. I’m not about it. Consider the weekly duty fulfilled.
I’ll close out simply by saying happy Easter to you and yours. Whether you’re a believer or not, may the love that Christ gave to us as an example of how to live permeate your lives and shape how you interact with those around you. God bless. He is risen.
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A big boy, finally. I didn’t want to crop this one as much as the others. It’s neat.
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