Looking day or Listening day?

As I get older, I become acutely more aware of the effect of my senses. I can’t walk past roses in people’s gardens without stopping to smell; I like to create something that has texture, or is fiddle-able; I enjoy listening to the wind when walking; I like seeing all the shades of colour when out.

A friend said to me recently that she catches up on many a podcast when she is out walking. And it got me thinking……. Firstly, I felt a little intimidated that I didn’t listen to podcasts through ear phones when doing something else – maybe I needed to become more intellectual. But, then I also realised, that if I did have headphones on, listening to a podcast when out and about, I would miss all the sensory input around me. I’d miss the birdsong, the wind in the trees, the hum of a bee, the splash of the water, the chatter of other voices.

I’d not be looking out for the butterfly floating by, or the everchanging cloud shape switching from rabbit to spaceship; the fern uncurling as it gets bigger; the pine cone perfectly shaped on the ground; the slow worm sneaking out of the undergrowth; the huge but perfectly intact dandelion seed head waiting for the wind to disperse it.

So I forgot about the intellectual intimidation and remembered the pure joy I get from walking in nature.

I definitely have a day when I prefer to be observant and look about me, filling up my visual sensory bank. And then have days when it is my auditory bank I want to fill, so listen to the wind. It’s the effect of the wind on its surroundings that is heard I guess, just as you don’t see it, you don’t hear wind. But you hear the leaves, the grass, the water, the rigging, the flags, the covers, the washing all being shaken, rattled and rolled by the wind.

I learned this want for discrimination of hearing and seeing from a lovely young girl with very complex needs I worked with a few years ago. I first met her when she was very unwell and in hospital. As a new play worker, I was unsure how to engage, so I sat close to her on her bed, and read her a story I knew well. She was interactive, and as far as I thought was enjoying my story telling by watching me, and anticipating my page turning.

When her father aske the nurses how her session with me had been, they responded with….

“I’m not sure the play worker realised Emily was deaf because she read her a story”

I did know she was deaf, but it hadn’t occurred to me I shouldn’t read a story in a suitable way just because she wouldn’t hear the words! The visual illustrations of the book and my animated story telling was enough for Emily to enjoy her play time.

Subsequently, whenever I worked with Emily again, one of the first things we would do was decide if she was having a ‘hearing’ or a ‘seeing’ day. If it was hearing, she would knock off

her glasses, and often close her eyes to demonstrate this. If she was in the mood for seeing, she would knock off her cochlear implants and turn towards you to engage.

Very occasionally she would not knock off either – but more often than not she knew which sense she wanted filling up that day.

And I agree with her completely – about half way through my dog walks, I usually stop to see which day it is for me………

Thank you Emily!