The (Lost) Art of Listening

Good listeners have become as rare in today's society as one-eyed jujitsu instructors or extemporaneous speaking at a teleprompter manufacturer. Most contemporary souls may never encounter an actually proficient listener in their entire lifetime, especially if they inhabit only rural tanning salons and dollar stores. The last certified listener spotted in any of the New England states was a peculiar fellow named Father James Callahan at the former St. Ignatius Cathedral whose approach to taking Confession was categorized as "calculating," "over-the-top" and "literally prurient" by parishioners questioned by descendants of Brigham Young.