Absolutely Not!

In days gone by, the “Town Crier” was the source of news for the community. He would stand in the village square and preface his announcements with the cry, “Hear ye! Hear ye!” Now, among other things, we have newspapers and TV to keep us informed. But typography and electronically produced pictures have not diminished the importance of the human voice. In fact, TV gives us access to so many voices, sometimes it is difficult to know which one to listen to.

Our technology has given us the means to hear sounds from the depths of the ocean, to hear sounds from distant planets, and even to hear sounds from a baby in the womb. And, of course, we constantly are hearing sounds from each other’s voices. But how good are we at really listening to each other?

In the recreation room of a retirement center in California, four widows were playing bridge when an elderly man they had never seen before walked into the…