There was once an Indian man walking along with his friend in central New York. While the two were walking the footpath, the Indian man suddenly stopped and cocked his head to one side as if listening for something.
"What are you doing?" Asked the American friend.
"I hear a cricket" replied the Indian
"What! How on earth can you hear a tiny cricket in the middle of New York? You've got to be kidding!"
"Just listen. Think about all the sounds you hear, listen for the cricket. Believe it's there."
So the American man sat down on a nearby bench, put his face in his hands, closed his eyes, and listened. But after a minute or two, the man stood up and shook his head.
"I didn't hear a thing. Just the whooshing of taxis, the rumbling of the subway, and the clacking of cash registers. But there's no cricket."
"I'll show you then," announced the Indian man as he headed to the next intersection and turned the corner with his ear ever listening for that cricket. He crossed the road, while his American friend stayed on the other side, found a seat and watched in humour. The other man ran up to a church, and found a pot at the entrance gate. He quickly dug around in the soil, and the stoop up, his hand raised high in the air, with the tiny cricket held gently between his fingers. He crossed the road back to his friend and showed off his prize.
"How did you hear that, and I didn't?" said the American.
"It all depends on what you listen for. I'll show you." He then reached into his pocket and pulled out some coins, a few dimes and a nickel. Then he simply dropped them. At that moment, every head in the street turned towards the two men.
"I listen for things that you do not. You must believe something is there to really hear it. It's all about what you listen for."
DS.
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