Talking And Listening (1968)

[Music] Last Summer Don visited his friends and asked them to come to his [Music] home he asked Bill he asked Sam he asked Phil his brother Alan and Paul he also asked Marvin and birt and Victor they met Tuesday [Applause] [Applause] afternoon Don had asked the boys over because he had wanted to start a club but this wasn't exactly what he had in mind his sister Alice didn't like it either won't you please quiet down what went wrong Don had an idea I think we've got to talk one at a time that's right we don't quit talking at the same time we won't get anywhere it's going to be an off done wait you're still not talking one at a time I think we've got to take turns not talk when anyone else does then who gets to talk first Don thought it over he remembered how it had been in school there when someone wanted to talk he raised his hand usually whoever raised his hand first got to talk first of course this was different from school I don't think that we have to raise our hands but why don't we make sure the person before has finished okay can I talk now yeah okay what I want to say is I don't know why you want us to get together we've already got Scout meetings and our B team listen wait a while let crowd and we don't have a chance to talk wait let's let Phil talk first why not me because Dawn is running this meeting it's his house that's one way of deciding because Don was running the meeting he had to do a lot of the talking now listen this won't have anything to do with Scouts it'll cost the dime and won't have anything to do with the ball team I mean we'll have our regular meetings but not the same day as other things what was that about Don seemed to be talking about several things all at once why don't we talk first about what day we're going to meet school is going to start soon and a lot of us will have to be home by 5 bill is talking about only one thing meeting times the only way to get anything done is to talk about one thing at a time my sister home after school and Marvin has to go to a special class after his regular school is that right Marvin you don't have to go every day do you no just Tuesday and Thursday can't you talk louder I can't hear I said no just Tuesday and Thursday that was better loud enough for all to hear but not too loud and it seemed that the boys had learned a few things about talking then we go fishing at the Old Creek most of them tried to take turns and each tried to make sure someone else wasn't talking before he began and when two boys wanted to talk I think we they let Don decide who would talk first though it was hard to do the boys tried to talk about one thing at a time this year and whoever was talking tried to talk loud enough they were off to go this made things easier for the boys and it kept them from disturbing Don's sister Alice and her friends in the Next Room Alice was teaching Margot and Virginia to play her new game first you spin a number then whatever number comes up he move that many spaces ahead if you land on a green square you get an extra turn and you spin again if you land on a blue square you stay there but if you land on a red square you take a card that lets you know what to do next okay it's your turn Margo well Alice talked about one thing at a time and she talked loud enough for the others to hear so Margo should have known what to do if she'd been listening oh that's not right you only take a card if you land on red why the mistake Margo thought she knew I'm sorry I guess I wasn't listening listening can be important what's the use of talking clearly if the people you're talking to don't know how to listen but how do you listen Alice and her friends learned something about this as they talked about the game now in this part of the game you're supposed to say the number of cards you are going to pick the person to the right of the and I don't for you to take three please don't talk while Alice is explaining a person can't listen well and talk at the same time so a good listener is quiet While others speak the girls wanted to learn the game so they tried to be quiet and to listen I was saying I spin once then you spin once whoever spins the highest number gets to move ahead 10 spaces whoever spins the lowest number has to move back 10 the others don't move at all than I'm sorry Mar but that noise bothers me it's hard to listen to what Alice is saying I guess I never thought of it that way before I'll stop well go ahead start the game I guess that's all I can remember now do you have any questions yes you said whoever spins the lowest number has to go back 10 spaces does that mean 10 spaces from where you are when you spin or 10 spaces from where you would be if you took your Alice are you listening yes well I'm sorry but it feels funny to talk with you looking the other way so Alice looked right at Virginia as she talked and she found that it really seemed to help Virginia speak Alice thought about that and about other things she and her friends had said about listening and as the game went on she tried to be quiet While others were talking to pay attention not play or do anything else at the same time and to look at the person who was talking a few minutes ago the boys had also learned some things about talking and listening things you might want to remember when you're with your friends or your family for instance riding in a car it's especially important to speak loud enough but not too loud loud talk can be disturbing to the driver at dinner too it's good to take turns talking when something important has happened and you're excited you might try to say a lot at once but remember it's better to talk about one thing at a time when you're shopping and want to learn about what you're buying of course you should listen While others speak and you know it's easier to learn something new if you look at a person who's talking and stop doing other things perhaps watching Don and Alice and their friends you've learn something too something about talking letting others know what you think and listening learning the things that others may have to [Music] say