The National Day of Listening

Through the hazy gray of the morning, still woozy from yesterday’s abundance of turkey, millions of Americans rise when even roosters are still dreaming. Yes, folks, it is Black Friday. A day of ridiculous sales, insane mobs, and the craziest shopping of the year, made even worse by tryptophan hangovers. This year, forget about Black Friday because a new holiday tradition begins. Today is The National Day of Listening.

The National Day of Listening was created by StoryCorps, an independent nonprofit that has helped more than 40,000 Americans record their stories. The National Day of Listening is one of the largest oral history projects of its kind and it’s mission is to help people honor and celebrate one another's lives through listening.

This holiday season, ask the people around you about their lives — it could be your grandmother, a teacher, or that neighbor with the tire swing. By listening to their stories, you are assuring that they won’t ever be forgotten. So shake off the turkey, finish the pie and listen up.