‘Tell me about listening’ said Winnie the Pooh to CR one day <br />when they were sitting together in a thoughtful spot <br />and the sun was hummy. <br /> <br />‘There’s lots of different sorts of listening.’ <br />CR explained. ‘It depends.’ <br /> <br />‘On what? ’ said Pooh amiably. <br /> <br />‘On how you feel, I suppose. <br /> <br />For instance, there’s the ‘listening when you’re not’ sort of listening <br />which you do when Rabbit is rabbiting on about something that <br />doesn’t really matter.’ <br /> <br />‘I know that sort’, said Pooh. <br /> <br />‘Then there’s the ‘half listening’ sort of listening, <br />when you sort of do and you sort of don’t.’ <br /> <br />‘Like when Piglet’s telling you a very exciting story <br />and you can’t listen properly cos your tummy’s rumbling? ’ <br /> <br />‘Precisely’ <br /> <br />‘Or when Eeyore’s feeling particularly gloomy, <br />so you make ‘there there’ sort of noises instead of listening.’ <br /> <br />‘The very same’. <br /> <br />‘What other sorts of listening are there? ’ <br /> Pooh asked eagerly. <br /> <br />‘Then there’s ‘real listening’ <br />when you put aside everything else <br />and turn off your own mind completely.’ <br /> <br />‘Like I’m doing now? ’ said Pooh <br /> <br />‘Like you’re doing now.’ said C R. <br /> <br />‘I like listening to you Christopher Robin’ said Pooh. <br /> <br />‘I like listening to you too, Pooh. <br /> <br /> <br />* (inspired by Michael Shepherd, M. Scott Peck and A A Milne)<br /><br />Alison Cassidy<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/pooh-bear-and-cr-discuss-listening/
