Listening

I listen to tapes sent to me by Tape Aids for the Blind library service. I have macular degeneration and can no longer read print so my audio tapes are a great source of comfort and interest to me.

They set off from the depot in Durban, South Africa, neatly packed in little plastic containers with buckles on the outside to keep the tapes safely inside as they journey to my home in Harare, Zimbabwe.
When the tapes, sent by post arrive, they are thrown over the gate and are picked up by the gardener English (who doesn’t speak a word of it) and handed to me with great deference.
I am never without tapes for the wonderful people in Durban seem to have a sixth sense as to when to send me some more.

To return, I simply have to pack them back into the box and the reversible label addressed to me is simply reversed – and returned to sender via the Post Office here, where there is no charge at all for carrying them by mail.

This amazing free service for blind or partially sighted readers is all done without fuss; no emails, telephone calls and there is never any problem at all – can you imagine that?

I always have an enjoyable book to listen to and in a world of frantic IT interchanges the joy of listening to a good book in a quiet cottage is a soothing panacea.

When I originally joined I was given a form to fill in with various categories of choice – science fiction/murder mystery/ biographies/ autobiographies etc. 

Oh what wonderful hours I have spent listening to the biographies of Julie Andrews and Elizabeth Taylor, the perfect writings of classics like Thomas Hardy, Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, Shakespeare and sometimes poetry. 

I have tasted the flavour of Ireland with Maeve Binchley and walked the paths of history with Jean Plaidy and revelled in the spiritually enlightened words of CS Lewis and Charles Spurgeon, plus the Bible itself – what a gift to be able to have the unlimited time to listen to that.

 I have been very amused at some of the most modern writers who seem to wish to squeeze out every drop of emotion they possibly can with a display of physical indications. Sometimes a very practical picture is painted of having conversations taking place in the kitchen, while coffee is made, stirred, sipped or gulped according to the rise and fall of the conversation.

Then there is a description of the workings of the throat: he gulped; she felt a lump in her throat; his throat tightened; he choked; he swallowed.

Emphasis is given to a flow of emotions by observing the course of tears. “…..she shut her eyes and a tear escaped down her cheek” or “…her tears overflowed”.

How about: “He looked deep into her eyes and saw them fill……Their eyes caught…..Their eyes locked.”

Plus: “She looked down at her feet……..He rolled his eyes towards the ceiling”.

Funniest of all is the mouth: “He grinned a slow grin.” I tried to do that in front of the mirror and failed.

“She pulled up the corners of her mouth and tried to smile.” (Try that one.)

The body too comes into play: “He lurched through the door…….He eased himself closer……He leaned his shoulder against the doorway……He sighed through his teeth’

“She exhaled and then spoke.” How do you do that?!

Ah well, all writers are different and that is what makes the written word so interesting.

In conversation, how many people listen well? They usually do the talking and then look at their watch when you reply! Yet how interesting and informative is it when true conversation emerges; when experiencing a stimulating exchange of ideas that are expressed and listened to.

It is a gift to find a good listener who is not anxious to interrupt and overcome your poorer efforts with a form of aggressive vocal thunder. There must be so many wonderful stories hidden away that could be told to a sympathetic and interested listener.

Let us find time to listen. 

Each story differs – and again, that is what makes it interesting.