Friday, February 5, 2021
Tom Gruen
Listen
On January 28, my mother would have turned 100. She only made it to 74, so I haven’t heard her audible voice in more than 25 years. And I think of the stories she told me, like traveling by train on her own with her infant son (my oldest brother) in 1942 from Chicago to Los Angeles to live out the war with her sister and her infant daughter, while their husbands would be somewhere in the Pacific theater and they would be on their own until 1946. To make ends meet, my mother and her sister pooled their ration stamps, took in laundry, and babysat for other moms going to work in the factories, their husbands also at war. I only remember glimpses of these stories, and now I wish I had listened more intently, and listened with more questions so I could hear more. How did you deal with all the cloth diapers? How were women coping when their husbands weren’t coming back alive? Did you ever run out of food? Did you go to church? I know I didn’t listen enough.
When Carol and I lived an Atlanta, we would go to the National Storytelling Festival every year in Jonesboro, Tennessee. We would crowd into tents to hear the worlds best storytellers, all of us – including our small children -intent on every word. Our favorite storyteller was Donald Davis, and the first story I heard him tell was “Listening for the Crack of Dawn,” as he spun his childhood recollection of his Aunt Laura who would tease him about hearing the crack of dawn. I hadn’t listened to any Donald Davis stories for several years, but a few weeks ago, my son forwarded a link to Apple Music of a newly released story of his, “Don’t Postpone Joy.” The flip side of the album is “A Second Chance,” where Davis tells the story of getting word of his father’s death, but like Mark Twain, the report was greatly exaggerated. Davis took that opportunity to ask all the questions he had never asked his dad. He had a second chance to listen.
Spotify – what a wonderful way to listen to music. Our kids got Carol and me hooked on it – you can listen to anything you want! So today we listened to Aretha Franklin sing Amazing Grace. We had been listening to Bishop Michael Curry interview Bryan Stevenson (author of Just Mercy), and the two of them got talking about the music that influenced them, and they brought up Aretha. Anything she sings is amazing, but her gospel version of Amazing Grace reaches deep into the soul. Thank-you Michael and Bryan for the suggestion. And thank-you Aretha, for the reminder of God’s amazing love.
Listen – so much good material to listen, no video needed. Take in an episode of Bishop Michael Curry’s “The Way of Love” series. Check out Donald Davis’ stories. And, if you’re lucky enough to have living parents, ask them for their stories.