Yesterday
I spent two minutes listening to a woman I knew nothing about, who told me anything that came to her mind. I heard about how her job is stressful, but I didn’t hear what the job is; I heard about traffic in the mornings but I know nothing about her car or the journey she takes every morning; I heard about her desire to remain calm, but I know nothing about what irritates her. I was required not to speak, and to nod only when I felt necessary— nothing compulsive, everything mindful. She wasn’t trying to make me understand her circumstances, she simply spoke and I simply listened.
In short, it was one of the most magical and interesting 2 minutes I’ve spent.
I took a turn speaking, and for 2 minutes followed suit. We came away from the conversation knowing still next to nothing about eachother beyond that we are both human beings. It’s awful how seldom we have the opportunity to recognize that quality of someone else, and it’s beautiful that I was given such an opportunity yesterday.
