…[A] man hears what he wants to hear, and disregards the rest.”
(Paul Simon)

Sure he does.  We all hear what we want to hear.  We all disregard the rest.

I embrace this thought as sage wisdom that applies to all of us, including me.  I do it too.

Oh, and because I embrace this, even about myself, it’s always legitimate for me to impart it to you.  You do it too, since we all do.  I hereby solemnly admit this, and will continue to do so.

And the nice thing about this is that I also know what “the rest” is in your case.  I know exactly what you are disregarding, which is really my point.  (My prod.)

Oh, sure, you can prod back, because I already admitted that it applies to me.  Of course there is a “rest” that I disregard, and I’m happy to let you remind me of it.

As long as I’ve gotten in that dig about your “rest.”  Because I do see it clearly.  In your case, as long as I can point out “the rest,” that’s what’s most important.

As long as I get to say what I want to say, I can (dis)regard the rest, because I met the obligation of admitting it.  Why dwell on that to which I’ve made the crucial gesture of regard?  It’s your “rest” upon which I’ve been anointed and commanded to prophesy.

Of course my lips are unclean too, but I will still say what I want to say, even as I ritually regard the disregarded “rest.”  We can add layers and layers of “Well, you too!” and it’s always “Of course your right, I know, but then there’s you…”

As I think about all of this, I think about a rest in music.  Silence which, when aptly placed, is most of the music.

May we learn as we go along not to disregard the rest.

Yes, of course I meant myself.  But you too.  Yes, me.  Ok, I’ll stop there and only THINK “you too.”

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