Listen

Listen closely.

Are you listening now? Really listening?

And I don’t mean to me; I mean to each other. Are you hearing and feeling what is being shared with you, or are you waiting for the appropriate pause to interject your opinion…or change the subject to yourself?

If you’re thinking of your next comment and how witty or inspirational it might be…you’re not listening. If you’ve just spent the last 30 minutes talking about yourself, your kids, your job, your world, and then you are asked to do the same for someone else…only to suddenly realize you’ve got a phone call, a visitor, a task that must completed right now…you probably have not been listening. Truly listening.

Please stop and think about this. Because someday you’re going to need somebody to listen. Really listen.

"I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen." ~Ernest Hemingway

My very first blog

so here i am...my very first blog.  and just like my first word, first step, first fall, first everything, it's awkward and unknown...and i'll probably suck at first.  yes, i'm scared shitless about sending my insides out, but we don't get anywhere by staying in our comfort zone, so...welcome to me!

since this is my first blog <blush> i will write about something easy...the things i love about my new city, austin (and there are a lot, but like the first time doing anything <blush again...ok, maybe not>....it'll be brief)

first and foremost of what i love about austin is family.  my brother is here.  <sigh of complete relief>  there's nothing like being with family.  nothing.  and my sister-in-law and even BETTER is the most awesome kid on the face of the earth, my nephew. having him in my life renews my youth. and i'm getting up in the years now, so youth is tres importante.

but aside from all the personal stuff...to me, austin rocks because:

--i'd rather have 90+ days of  over 100 degrees than 30 days of below freezing.
--we got leslie.  austin is weird for real.  these are my people.
--at HEB in south austin while grocery shopping, they were giving away samples of sangria...can you say heaven?  and hell yes, i took one!
--freddies.
--mexican martinis.
--the coolest places allow dogs and only hire people with tattoos.
--sxsw.  only a city as cool as austin could handle this.
--the sun shines most of the time.
--willie.
--the random guy that sang "some days are diamonds" to me just when i really needed it.
--the punk band rehearsing two doors down from me the other day.
--people are NICE.  i forgot to take my garbage out, and one of my neighbors did it for me.
--texas music.  texas music is embraced here...no pop shit...real bands with real fans. 

ok, i think i'll stop here...don't yet know what i'm doing!  hopefully more to come.

cheers!