Acknowledgements
Family
Mary Elizabeth is my beloved partner and best friend of forty years. Her courage and zest for life is inspiring. I value and appreciate her feedback on the listening book. Thank you for sharing your life with me.
Our two sons, Benjamin and Danny, are an endless source of nourishment and joy for me. They renew and enrich my life in countless ways, and this goodness spills over into all areas of my life, including teaching and research. Thanks for the joy. Benjamin and I created the 3M Mind Muscles of Meditation album, and Danny created the cover art, haiku artwork, and illustrations under the pen name XaoTheArtist.
The work ethic, honesty, and loyalty of my Father Earl, who died recently, the wide-open heart of love and caring of my late Mother Juanita, and their steadfast faith and love for each other are role models I value and try to emulate. Thank you both for the love and support over the many years we had together.
From early childhood through middle teens, I had the privilege of visiting and living with my fraternal and maternal grandparents every summer in North Dakota. The German-Russian stock that took root in the harsh landscape of Dakota is a hearty one that positively shaped my values of hard work, gusto, perseverance, land, faith, and family. I am grateful to them…and to all of my Ancestors . . . bless you and thank you.
Teachers
To all of my teachers through the years, those who taught me during my twenty-five years of formal education, and those I have primarily learned from through books, podcasts, and videos. I have thumbnail pictures of many of those dear teachers (one hundred and forty-four at last count) that hang on a wall next to my writing area. They continue to inspire and guide me. Sometimes, I wonder if it is their voice, my voice, or our voice writing the words in this book. Regardless, I owe a great debt to them and am ever so grateful for all they have shared with me.
I honor and remember with love some of my teachers here . . . my first teachers at Saint Martin’s Elementary–Sister Ann, and Mr. Dwyer, Medley, and Sapone, my college teachers at San Jose State University who first introduced me to communication–Cal Hylton, Ted Balgooyen, Jo Sprague, and Ted Benedict, my social science teachers at the University of Arizona–Michael and Judgee Burgoon, my spiritual and life teachers–Eknath Easwaran, Marshall Rosenberg, Seth Godin, Jeff Warren, Alfie Kohn, Christopher Alexander, Jean Houston, Fred Rogers, Susun Weed, and Thich Nhat Hanh.
Editor
I am fortunate to have the advice, wisdom, and benefit of my editor Aditya Desai. The many suggestions make this a more readable, organized, and scholarly book. Thank you for believing in me and investing in this project. May you be blessed in turn.
Colleagues
I am blessed with supportive and encouraging departmental chairs over three decades, including Gary Edgerton, Avi Santo, and Tim Anderson, and colleagues in the Department of Communication and Theatre Arts at Old Dominion University, including Tom Socha, Gary Beck, Fran Hassenchal, and most especially the late Konrad Winters, who said, “Write the book that only you can write.”
I’m grateful for the openness, acceptance, and comradery of the International Listening Association’s Spirituality Team, especially Marva Shad-McIntosh, Janelle Backman, Kay Lindahl, John Stewart, and Victor Pierau, and those others in the International Listening Association who lent a helping hand in this book project, including Laura Janusik, Jerry Catt, Michael Purdy, Andy Wolvin, Deborah Worthington, and Graham Bodie. I also want to thank my old friends Douglas Kelley, Sharon Lauicella, and those from the Religious Communication Association, as well as my old and new friends in the Positive Communication Network Community.
I am exceedingly grateful to everyone who said, “YES, I will read and write a short review” for your listening book. Their names are in the front of the book. I am also grateful for the three anonymous reviewers’ supportive and sometimes critical remarks. Your suggestions and insights make this a better quality book.
Special Thanks to Special Friends
A special thanks to Tom and Linda Ashe, Bud Goodall, Jim Gorden, Mike Huff, Joe Coefer, Jim Kruc, Chet Michael, Casey Moore, Clare Morris, Rock and Beth Palladino, Virginia O’Reilly, Rodney and Lynn Reynolds, and George Seaber. . . your positive influence in my life lives on.
Students in the Listening to the SONG of Life Class
I gratefully acknowledge the students who shared the gift of their life experiences with me in the Listening to the SONG of Life courses during the past decade, especially the magic of the first undergraduate listening course at Old Dominion University. We learned and taught each other. May you learn and teach others in turn.
Dear Reader
I acknowledge your desire to learn and grow in listening knowledge and capacities. May you find something to nourish you in these pages. May you be blessed with relationships where you feel “listened to,” understood, and loved. May you be a heartfelt, empathic listener for others, a soothing balm for those who suffer, and a source of comfort, healing, and love for all you encounter. May you find joy, mirth, and celebration in your efforts to listen to the entire SONG of Life!
The Divine
None of this would be possible without the Great Spirit’s gift of life, nourishment, guidance, and continued sustenance…in humble gratitude for EVERYTHING.
