Not every place speaks in words. Some speak in echoes.
In silence.
In how slowly the curtain moves.
Here are three things I carry when I want to listen better — not just to people, but to the places I pass through.
1. A Cloth Pouch for Found Sounds
A leaf. A wrapper. A receipt from a place that smelled like cardamom.
Things that held a moment — even if briefly.
2. A String of Three Questions (for myself)
- “What’s the softest thing I hear right now?”
- “What here is older than me?”
- “If this place had a color, what would it be?”
3. Shoes that make no sound
Because some streets don’t want to be stepped on.
They want to be walked with.
Some places don’t need your opinion. Just your noticing.
And when you do —
they begin to trust you back.