Listen, Not Just Hear

I used to take notes when I attended some talk or seminar.  I heard the speaker and was busy taking notes, thinking, I will digest this stuff later.  In other words, I heard but I did not listen.  I don't do that anymore.  I found that I could not remember much at all that the speaker said, and soon enough forgot whatever I memorized from the notes.  I did not internalize what I heard.  I did not listen and take it in so that I could remember it.  Now I listen, rather than merely hear, and internalize it.  I remember it better that way.  I am more present to the speaker when I listen.  When someone comes to talk to me I don't take notes.  I listen.  I am present to them and remember better later on what they said.  Except in the confessional where I have been gifted with the ability to forget what people just confessed.  So my relationship outside the confessional in never affected by their confession.  Boy, the stuff I could tell you!  But I have forgotten it all.