“There’s a lot of difference between listening and hearing.”
The day is another beauty with sun, a blue sky and no humidity. The house is cool. The weather in the paper said we’d have low 80’s today and mid 60’s tonight, perfect for sleeping. This is summer at its best.
I have lots of household chores today and I have a list. I always have a list. Even when I had a good memory, I had a list. It is in no particular order and nothing is too strenuous. Doing the laundry is the most energy-consuming task.
The Great Whites are back in Chatham. One which was tagged in the past was the first to return. It seems even sharks can’t pass up a free lunch. The seals sunbathe on the rocks unaware of what lurks below the surface where the sharks wait patiently. People are a bit more leery this year given all the attacks off the coast in North Carolina. That they are not our Great Whites is a bit of comfort.
When I was a kid, my life was filled with demands. Brush your teeth. Wash your hands before dinner. Wipe your feet on the outside mat. Hang your coat in the closet, not on the chair. Put your schoolbag away. Go upstairs and change into play clothes. Finish your homework. Don’t sit so close to the TV or you’ll go blind. Leave your sisters alone. Don’t slam the door. Go outside and play until I call you for dinner. Don’t stand looking with the refrigerator door open. No cookies before dinner. Eat all your vegetables. Get ready for bed.
I suppose my mother chatted with us in-between, but I don’t remember. Every day she pretty much made the same demands because we generally ignored them, and none of her demands stuck with us in anticipation of the next day when they began all over again with something about teeth.
I was a master at not hearing my mother. When she spouted her daily demands, the words all ran together, and I understood nothing. It was as if she was speaking in a foreign tongue. I’d nod my head pretending I was listening. When I was reading, I didn’t hear her at all as I was totally immersed in the book. She never really believed me and thought I was ignoring her on purpose. She’d ask if I had heard her, and I’d truthfully answer no. That was the wrong answer. The truth sometimes is.
When I got a bit older, sarcasm just flew out of my mouth unfettered, uncensored. My mother would go wild. I didn’t blame her as I had become a bit of a wise ass.
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This entry was posted on July 11, 2015 at 11:38 am and is filed under Musings. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments.
Tags: beautiful day, Brush your teeth. Wash your hands before dinner. Wipe your feet on the outside mat. Hang your coat in the closet, cool house, demands, Great Whites, Laundry, list of chores, listening, no humidity, not on the chair. Put your schoolbag away. Go upstairs and change into play clothes. Finish your homework. Don’t sit so close to the TV or you’ll go blind. Leave your sisters alone. Don’t slam t, wise ass
Both comments and pings are currently closed.14 Comments on ““There’s a lot of difference between listening and hearing.””
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keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
July 11, 2015 at 12:06 pm
One of Your great whites almost came over to Europe last summer but she changed her mind, this year none of them are even close to get here. I don’t mind really but still it would be cool to see one from a safe place 🙂
We’ve had a rather wonderful day here, warm with sunshine (mostly through thin clouds though) and with a weak wind. Tomorrow will be rainy however so I better enjoy what’s left of this day.
The older I got the less I was home to hear her 🙂 But she knew how to write notes so I knew what chores she thought I would do 🙂 She also moved away quite early so I had tro do everything myself anyway 🙂
Have a great day!
Christer.
July 11, 2015 at 3:24 pm
Christer,
It wouldn’t surprise me as one of the Great Whites they’ve tagged have traveled more than 12,400 miles (more than 20,000 kilometers) fro South Africa to the coast of Australia and back. They don’t generally attack humans so you might be safe as long as they don’t think you’re a seal.
Beautiful day here too-we’ve both been lucky.
By the time I was in high school my mother really didn’t need to nag as much. I had grown up!
Enjoy your evening!
July 11, 2015 at 12:39 pm
Hi Kat,
It’s like Charlie Brown listening to his teacher: “Wah wah wah wah wah wah.”
On the other side of the coin, mothers tend to develop selective deafness, too. They stop hearing “Mom!” There were a couple of times I had to run through the different words for mother all the way up to Mrs O’Keefe before she answered. 🙂
I have one chore today. It involves picking up the phone and making an appointment for dog grooming. I haven’t done it yet.
This morning there was a doe in the yard nibbling away on tree branches and leaves. I have no pictures because I don’t generally bring a camera to the bathroom with me. By the time I could go get it, she had wandered off deeper into the swamp. It was a lovely start to the day though.
It’s sunny and dry here. The house is cool but it’s warming up outside.
Enjoy the day.
July 11, 2015 at 3:15 pm
Hi Caryn,
That’s exactly what it was like. All I heard was the “Blah, blah, bah.” My mother too got a little edgy with constant, Mom, mom, mom.”
I did one similar chore-an appointment for Gracie with the cardiologist to see how she is doing. That’s Monday.
How neat to have a doe in your yard. It was a wonderful way to start the day!
It is hot here now. I took a nap and turned the AC on in my bedroom (I keep a unit there in case I don’t need to turn on the central AC).
Have a wonderful Saturday night!
July 11, 2015 at 4:46 pm
I think the shark attacks are retaliation by the sharks for the 40th anniversary of the movie Jaws. 🙂 Wasn’t the movie shot in Martha’s Vineyard? That’s near your part of the Atlantic ocean.
All kids are born with selective hearing. It’s when they get hormones during the teen years that the smart ass mouth comes out. At about 17 they say, “Gee dad, how can you have lived so long and be so stupid”. I’m still waiting for the time when my 18 year old son comes to me and says, “You sure learned a lot while I was in College”.
July 11, 2015 at 6:25 pm
Bob,
It was shot on Martha’s Vineyard which is off the coast of Cape Cod. The shark attacks are not from Great Whites so they are getting a bad rap.
I think it was Twain who made that observation about sons and fathers. He was right.
Okay, I did have a wise ass mouth, but I always thought I was pretty darn funny and my parents just didn’t appreciate the humor!!
July 11, 2015 at 9:18 pm
I’m lucky because my mother in law still doesn’t get my sarcastic humor and thinks I’m a wise ass. I enjoy it immensely but my wife gets the it the next day from her mother. This after being married to her daughter for 30 years. She’s 81 so why should I change now? 🙂
July 11, 2015 at 9:28 pm
Bob,
If she doesn’t get it, why does she think you’re a wise ass? I’m a bit confused there.
Nope, after 30 years you don’t have to change.
July 11, 2015 at 6:30 pm
Hi Kat,
It’s a sunny cool day here, and I haven’t done a thing all day. We had a tiny bit of rain on Thursday, but we are still in drought conditions.
When I was a teen, I just tuned my parents out, with a little help some weed ( Oh No!). I was expected to clean my room, and also help in the store that my parents owned, do some grocery shopping, and well… I also heard Blah Blah Blah… ( I still hear it ).
I have a few things on my list today, but when I think of them, I become sleepy.
I was born with selective hearing and selective memory.
Take care,
Lori and the Crew.
July 11, 2015 at 6:39 pm
Hi Lori,
I have one thing left on my list, the laundry, but nothing I did finish was all that strenuous.
I had no chores growing up so I considered myself lucky. My mother was a saint and did everything.
A nap this afternoon gave me enough energy to go down the cellar to do laundry. I’ll start it as soon as I finish here.
Take care and feel better!
Kat and the Gang
July 12, 2015 at 12:05 am
My very favorite “listen” song… by the lead guitarist of Roxy Music. This is with the group 801 and was recorded in 1976. It’s almost hypnotic.
July 12, 2015 at 9:33 am
im6,
The picture too holds your attention. I checked out every part of that painting.
His voice barely changing from note to note and the repeated music are what held me to listen.
July 12, 2015 at 9:48 am
Enlargement of cover: http://www.ken-s-attic.com/shopimages/kensattic/010006000072.jpg
July 12, 2015 at 11:49 am
im6,
I saw elements I had missed on the smaller picture, some of which are puzzling like the two people in the shadow of the building.