Letters About Literature Home >> 2008 National Winners and Honorable Mentions >> Level 2 National Winner: Anna Rodis
LETTERS ABOUT LITERATURE
Letters of 2008 National Winners and Honorable Mentions
Level 2 National Winner: Anna Rodis
Dear Mr. Paul Showers,
When my father was a young boy, he went on mile-long walks with
his father every night after dinner. My dad said that on those
walks, he and his dad--my grandfather--talked about world geography.
My dad learned the names of all the countries of the world, their
capitals, what their land was like, and what type of government
they had. He learned a lot on these walks and was able to spend
some real quality time with his father. So it was only natural
that when he had kids, he wanted to do the same with them. And
so he did.
When it came to my turn to go on the walks after dinner with
my dad, I was really excited. But I had recently read your book, The
Listening Walk. My dad started the walks the way he had with
my older sisters--the way his father had with him--and he started
teaching me about the countries of the world. One warm and slightly
breezy spring day, I asked my dad if he wanted to go on a "listening
walk" instead. He had never heard of a listening walk, so
I explained the idea to him. I was not sure how he was going
to take my suggestion, and I was a little afraid that I would
hurt his feelings. After a moment's thought he said, "Sure.
Why not?"
We walked quietly together for quite some time. I heard the
patter of our footsteps, the rustle of our jackets, the singing
of the birds, the sounds of distant dogs barking and the sound
of the leaves blowing in the breeze. After a while, I stopped
and asked my dad what he had heard; we kind of compared notes.
He heard a lot of the same things I had heard but also heard
a window open in someone's home, a car door closing, and he could
identify three different types of birds singing and calling to
each other. It turned out that he was a really good listener.
He really liked the idea of a listening walk and we went on many
of them together for quite some time. I loved going on these
walks as much as the main character in your book.
I heard many sounds during these walks. But the walks were more
than just listening walks. They were times when my dad and I
could really relax. We could be quiet and let the sounds of our
surroundings fill our ears and our minds. Sometimes the only
sounds we heard were the sounds of our own breathing. I can't
go on listening walks as much as I would like to any more. The
world had also gotten a lot crazier and much more stressful than
when I was younger. But like the girl in your book said, "You
do not even have to take a walk to hear sounds." So now,
whenever I get the chance, or whenever I am feeling a little
anxious about something, I sit quietly in my room or go into
my backyard where there is a pond with a waterfall, and I just
listen. Doing this always has a way of calming me, leaving me
feeling happy and refreshed. Even though my life and the world
around me have gotten much more hectic, there is always time
to squeeze in a little "listening walk." I can't wait
to take them with my children.
Sincerely,
Anna Rodis
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National Winners and Honorable Mentions >> Level 2 National Winner: Anna Rodis
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