What does a full moon sound like? What does warm peach cobbler made from fresh peaches sound like? What does a full bush of completely opened gardenia flowers sound like? What does the welcome touch of another human being sound like?
It may sound silly to ask what a sight sounds like, or what a taste or smell or touch sounds like, but when I do that, interestingly, I suddenly take that thing in a little differently.
For instance, when I consider listening to the full moon–something I normally would look at and perceive through my sight–I begin to hear a connection that I would limit to my eyes. Strikingly, when I try to listen to the moon, I feel something in my chest, near my heart.
When I try to listen to warm, fresh peach cobbler, my mouth still waters because I normally expect to taste that cobbler, but it does speak to my ears, too, and it makes me smile. I can “hear” a song coming from the gardenia bush–so pungent with sweet perfumes. I can “hear” acceptance from the welcome touch of another.
I’m wondering if I might take in more of the world and its Being if I tried to listen through all of my senses. I know that I am going to see and hear, taste, smell and touch more than I can imagine today and in some instances more than I want. Can I bring my listening to those encounters, those perceptions? And, if I do, what might I take in that I would normally miss? And if I do take in more, what will I do with it? Maybe better: what will it do with me?
So, let’s listen with our ears, of course. But today perhaps we can experiment by listening with our other senses, too. To see what we can see. To taste what we can taste. To smell what we can smell. To touch what we can touch.
Bob Patrick