Howdy howdy all!

Have you ever had a conversation with someone, who, instead of listening to what you are actually saying, they are just waiting for their turn to speak? 

By listening, I mean hearing your ACTUAL words and PROCESSING what you say. Perhaps they might ask a question for clarification if you are in some way ambiguous on some concept.

Are you guilty of this kind of behavior?

I am on occassion, but I think because I am ceaselessly curious about human behavior and I write about it a great deal for recreation and for profit (sometimes) I catch myself in the process.

I ask questions when I am confused about something. I even fess up and apologize if I am in error or in some cases I admit that I agree with something someone has said if I truly agree. 

I work, on some Mondays and Wednesdays, as a Teaching Assistant at the university for 2 separate professors. I do it free of charge for the experience and one of the main areas of training is listening for content and comprehension. I was told that if I practice hearing and processing what is ACTUALLY said by a student, then it would be easier to READ what is ACTUALLY written by a student.

I have found this to be true in a great many instances.  I try to practice this whenever I talk with someone or read something. I even do this with books I read for recreation, I take notes in the margins of every book I read as a matter of fact. I want to make sure that I am not doing a dis-service to the ACTUAL content. I seek out other opinions even if they differ from my own, since I cant always question the author. Who doesnt want balance?

That being said, I read a couple of blogs and noticed that many of the replies don't reflect what was ACTUALLY written in the entry. Why not?

Why not just comment on what is ACTUALLY written instead of "jumping the gun" or taking the opportunity to air out some unrelated grievance?

I am by no means innocent of this but I can honestly say that I have gone back to those folks and apologized for getting off task. I even concede a point or two if I find a flaw in my own ideas....I notice that a great many of us would rather  chew off a limb than admit that an error was made on our part.

Just a little something I was going over in mind during some down time......

How about some poetry....here goes.....

The Owls

UNDER the overhanging yews,

The dark owls sit in solemn state,

Like stranger gods; by twos and twos

Their red eyes gleam. They meditate.

Motionless thus they sit and dream

Until that melancholy hour

When, with the sun's last fading gleam,

The nightly shades assume their power.  

From their still attitude the wise

Will learn with terror to despise

All tumult, movement, and unrest;  

For he who follows every shade,

Carries the memory in his breast,

Of each unhappy journey made.--Charles Baudelaire

Goddess Bless