Herd (n)  group of hoofed animals

Heard (v) being understood; having listened to a sound, noise, phrase.

Today’s words are homophones – same sound, different spelling and definition. They couldn’t have more different meanings than this! 

A herd of animals – it makes me think of the sweeping savannahs of Africa with roaming majestic gazelles, impalas and zebras.  I have never seen these animals in the wild, but what an adventure that would be! My encounter with herds is much more subdued.  Within fifteen minutes of our suburban neighborhood, is a beautiful valley, with a ribbon of a river running through, alongside pastureland sprinkled with cows.  Love these gentle, mellow grazers.  They are the quintessential herds seen dotting local farmland. 

Even more fascinating, just a bit further down the valley, is a wild herd of elk.  These incredible animals range from 400 to 450 in number and can regularly be seen in early morning hours or at the onset of sunset.  It has become a regular outing for many – grab dinner at a local establishment and go out and watch the elk.  It is one of the coolest things about living in the area. 

Herds have hierarchy and group dynamics that seem to work.  When the bull elk have their full set of antlers, the visual is one of power and majesty.  In reality, the leaders of these herds are an older cow – a dominant female.  She often leads the herd in the migratory path while protecting the younger cows and calves – a wonderful demonstration of maternal instinct.

The other heard word, is just as important to our cultural dynamic.  Have you been heard?  Doesn’t really matter the situation, being heard is a critical aspect of communication.  We can talk until we’re blue in the face.  If our words fall on deaf ears, our energy of conveying our message is futile.  When we’re not heard, we experience feelings of insignificance, obscurity and being discounted.  Feeling less than is uncomfortable. As listeners, are we hearing one another?  Are we too eager to get our opinions interjected?  Do we stop to take a breath?  Have you truly heard the conversation around you?  

As in so many things in life, balance is key.  Speaking thoughtfully with moments of pause provides others, opportunity to hear us.  In turn, the pause allows us to hear responses and new ideas in the conversation.  The art of listening creates space for questions, learning, sharing and growing.

Living in a herd, I wonder if the animals struggle with being heard? There could be a lot of competing moo’s, bleat’s and snorts.  Are you competing to be heard?  Sometimes saying less is a better way to start the process.