Sometimes in a family you have people who take on the role of the one who passes on the family stories. My father was like that in his later years, and I wish I'd listened to him better, but I was living a long away and when I visited there always seemed more important things to do.

But the good thing is that sometimes since he's been dead I've been with other members of the family who lived closer and saw him more, and they'll come up with stories they got from him.

Learning how to listen is something that never seems to be given the attention is deserves. It's as important as learning to read, more important in some ways - reading is really a special kind of listening, and until you've learnt how to really listen, books are just full of words.

"In humility I will listen, we're all swimming to the other side" as Pat Humphries says in her song.