The Listening Project

A few of months ago, while visiting the Hennepin County Central Library on a Saturday afternoon to work with their computers, I stumbled upon a very novel and unusual situation. I noticed several elderly women sitting in the foyer deep in conversation with various people entering the building. One of them approached me to ask if I wanted to talk with her about anything. I told her that I already had various friends with whom I could share things. Yet, her question intrigued me so much that I wanted to find out more. She told me that she belonged to a small group of seniors who called themselves The Listening Project. Their mission was to gather once a month in small groups at libraries and other public places in order listen to people who just needed to talk with someone. She told me that the idea for this unique service was begun by a woman in San Francisco about ten years ago who noticed that many people had no one to talk with. So she opened up a store front where anyone needing to be heard could come in off the street and talk free of charge. It reminded me of a co-counseling session in which people could take turns sharing and listening. There's a really big need for this kind of service especially now when many people are desperate to be heard, and talking to themselves on streets, in buses, and other public places.

A month after I had first encountered that woman from The Listening Project, I ran into her again. This time she was accompanied by a YMCA lifeguard with whom I had worked about twenty-five years ago. The lifeguard had joined this project as a volunteer while working on her counseling degree. It felt good to run into a familiar face and to realize that she too was making a valuable contribution to those needing to be heard.