National Day of Listening

 "By listening closely to one another, we can help illuminate the true character of this nation reminding us all just how precious each day can be and how great it is to be alive." ~Dave Isay, Founder and president of StoryCorps

Today, November 26, is the National Day of Listening. The idea is to interview people you care about, and to record those interviews. You can put your name and the name of the person you interviewed on the "Wall of Listening." If you'd like to listen to some interesting interviews, this is a good place to visit. But the most important part of participating in the National Day of Listening will be what you have learned through interviewing someone.

My dad, Dutch navy

When I was younger I took some time one summer to record as many stories as my dad could remember from his childhood through young adulthood and even further. I recorded all the stories, which are now on CDs and also stored in digital format on our home computer. There were stories from his childhood in Holland, his teenage years there during the Nazi occupation, his adventures once he joined the Dutch navy after the war, his experiences in Australia, and his journey to the United States.

The best thing about recording interviews with someone you care about is that you learn more about them than you thought was there. Listening to someone else's experiences and thoughts gives you a window into their heart, and prevents you from objectifying or ignoring them. Thus listening always changes your view of yourself and of the world around you.

My dad is on the far left

I thought for a long time that I'd write up my dad's stories into a book. It hasn't happened yet, but that doesn't mean it won't. If and when the time is right, it will gel for me and I'll know what I need to do to get it done.

So I ask: Have you collected the interviews you should? Have you heard the stories that you need to hear from people you care about? Do you need to be listening to a particular person today, before they are no longer available?

I'd be interested to hear if you've done a "Listening Project," and who it was with and what you did with the results.