Listening
Authors love to sit back, relax, and observe people. Writers listen in, discreetly of course, to your conversations while observing your body language and jotting down notes!
Ever find yourself glancing around the coffee shop convinced someone is watching you? They probably are. But don’t feel frightened or nervous. Chances are you’re not being stalked, but you could be contributing to the next bestseller.
In my opinion, the great conversationalists are those who listen, and then toss in their opinions at the end. Like any good friend, I believe listening is as important as talking and I try to do that in social situations.
But we all know sometimes you just want to blurt out every dang thing that pops into 
your head, believing it is an absolutely brilliant observation that should be shared. Wrong. In all likelihood the other person might not care to hear all of it…unless he or she is an exceptionally good conversationalist.
Listening to your teens and pre-teens could be the most important listening of all. These young people’s ideas and opinions matter. And their heads overflow with unasked questions. Think of them as youngsters standing on the narrow ledge of life, preparing either to walk to safety through a window of opportunity or to plunge into a pool of poor choices usually fuelled by peer pressure and low self-esteem. Listen to your child or grandchild, you might be surprised by their astute observations and interesting opinions.
There are steps to being a good listener – 1. Pay attention, 2. Show that you are listening, 3. Provide feedback, 4. Defer judgment, and 5. Respond appropriately. Check out this website http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/ActiveListening.htm to hone your listening skills.
Keep reading and keep enjoying life. And remember…keep listening.
Excuse me, ma’am, could I please order a large French Vanilla coffee? I’ll be seated over there by the window.
