As I child I knew what was going on in my neighborhood. There were multiple sources! First, party lines (shared telephone lines in a community) were good sources. Then there was the mother’s network. If that did not reveal the inside information, kids talked. I cannot remember anything being secret. Everything was known by young and old, even if it was not discussed openly.
Party lines have given way to personal cell phones. Many think things are more private, forgetting that people talk on cell phones in Starbucks, on the bus, and even on airplanes while they are taxing. When you combine careless conversations with emails, chat forums, facebook, and twitter, the vehicles of knowing are faster than ever!
I do wonder if I know anymore than I did as a kid. Without the electronic carriers of today, people found out. Even in an age that had not imagined telephones, people sent word. In an old story, a riot was unfolding in one part of the city. Across town, “as they were trying to kill him, word came to the captain of the guard, ‘A riot! The whole city’s boiling over!’” (Acts 21.31) They knew. The word was out.
I find that I am overwhelmed with the news of the moment. It has gotten to the point that I intentionally listen without hearing. I find I do not want to hear. I want to selectively listen and understand.
I remember my childhood days fondly. I may not have been as informed as I am today, but I grasped what was going on. I relied on letters and other slow forms of sharing what was going on. I treasure my memories of letters, starting with the anticipation of opening the unknown.
Perhaps there is a different way of listening today. If I pause as I listen, remaining in the moment, perhaps the words between the lines will come through. Today is an invitation to hear what Others will say. I know it will not come easily. I also know the process is at the heart of living.
