November 25, 2018
Have you ever made a Hall of Fame list from your own life story? Best Cooks, Best Sports Competitors, Best Storytellers…
How about – based on last week’s blog – a Hall of Fame list of Best Listeners? Perhaps a one-time encounter or someone who has listened to you over a longer period.
Once I had spent the day in Toronto, and was taking the train back to Guelph just in time to attend a play. Since I tend to fall asleep during live events, I planned to nap on the train. A young woman asked me for help in the train station, and seemed to want to follow me onto the train. Confession: I chose a seat next to an empty seat that was covered in messy crumbs. I figured she would not try to sit next to me. Undaunted, she cleaned up the seat, sat down, and proceeded to tell me her sad story: taking the train for the first time in her life, so she could visit a friend who had cancer. I listened, warmed by her willingness to go out of her own comfort zone to encourage her friend.
I felt humbled that she trusted me in spite of my reluctance.