I just read a little blurb in a magazine where a woman stated that her worst habit was interrupting people. She followed that little ditty by saying that her best quality was being a good listener.
I laughed. Really, this poor woman is so confused. She can’t possibly be both a serial interrupter and a good listener. It could be that she’s interrupting people because she’s clairvoyant and already knows what they’re going to say. Probably not.
No, I think she’s just trying to make herself look good by throwing in the listening part. I know this to be true because I, too, am guilty of the terrible habit of interrupting people. Admittedly, this interrupting behavior is immature but I would never admit that I was a good listener. That’s the reason I interrupt. I don’t want to listen. Geez.
I used to try and excuse the behavior as just one more loveable little quirk of mine. I used to think I interrupted people because I was so engaged and so excited about the conversation at hand. In reality I couldn’t help but butt in and cut the other person off. Okay, I may be rude but at least I’m honest. I find myself so bored with another person’s thought process – not to mention their inability to – spit it out – that I just cut them off. Unable to endure one more round of bush beating I interrupt the other person’s train of thought because, simply put, I want them to stop talking and listen to ME!
This is an annoying habit I would really, really like to change.
What I would like to achieve is patience. I want to maintain the staying power of your most attentive fan. Hang on your every word. I’ll soak up your wonderful way of putting ideas together and applaud your unique and creative mind. My actual listening would sound like a quiet murmur, a hum of understanding and encouragement. I would pay attention to you with a oneness that comes from living in the moment we share together. I would find serenity in the moment.
It would be like a prayer.
Don’t think I can do it???
Libertas spiritus.
Good Morning Mystic 
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