One of my favorite things about the Christmas season is the music. I love all kinds of Christmas songs: White Christmas Carol of the Bells Silent Night Frosty the Snowman Straight No Chaser’s take on the Twelve Days of Christmas Pentatonix’s take on Mary Did You Know? Amy Grant’s I Need a Silent Night I could go on and …
In Others’ Words: The Value of Nothing
It’s been a year of deadlines for me … going from one deadline to the next to the next … and repeat, repeat, repeat. Add in the non-writing parts of life and there’s not been a lot of “doing nothing” in 2014. I often find those quiet moments of “nothing” in the middle of the night when I’m awake and everyone …
In Others’ Words: Are You Listening?
There are days when my emotions ambush me. I’m going through my day, doing what needs to be done. Not necessarily seizing the day, but making things happen. Feeling good. Satisfied, you know? And then suddenly I realize my emotions are all out of whack and I can’t even tell you why. At that moment, if I had to name …
In Others’ Words: Do You Hear What I Hear?
I wouldn’t say I never listen. But there have been times when I haven’t listened. Sometimes it was a case of tuning someone out — yes, deliberately — because I didn’t want to hear what was being said. Sometimes it was exhaustion, pure and simple. And sometimes I didn’t realize my attention had wandered until something — a question maybe, …
In Others’ Words: Listen
At times I am the worst of listeners. There’s a Vogt family joke that somebody needs to make me a T-shirt with this statement printed across the back: If you can read this, then I can’t hear you. My responsibility? To wear this one-of-a-kind T-shirt whenever I’m seated at my desk, writing. Hhhhmmmm. I’m going to need more than one …
In Others’ Words: Ears
“Be a good listener. Your ears will never get you in trouble.” ~ Frank Tyger (1929-2011), nationally published editorial cartoonist & columnist Don’t you relish a truth wrapped in just the right amount of laughter? Listening is an art, really … but even more than that, listening is a gift. It’s such a beautiful way to consider someone else more …