A letter of a listener to his speaker..

Dear speaker:

   Your ego has become a wall between yourself and me. You're not really concerned about me, are you? You're mostly concerned about whether or not this speech is really working... about whether or not you're doing a good job. You're afraid that I won't laugh at your jokes or cry over your emotional anecdotes. You're are so caught up in the issue of how am going to receive your speech, you haven't thought much about me at all. I might have loved you, but you're are so caught up in self love that mine is really unnecessary. If I don't give you  my attention it is because I feel so unnecessary here.

    When I see you at the microphone, I see Narcissus at his mirror... Is you tie straight? Is your hair straight? Is you deportment impeccable? Is your phraseology perfect?

   You seem in control of everything but your audience. You see everything so well but us. But this blindness to us, am afraid, has made us deaf to you. We must go now. Sorry. Call us sometimes later. We will come back to you...When you are real enough to see us... after your dream has been shattered...after your heart has been broken..after your arrogance has been reckoned with despair. Then there will be room for all of us in your world. Then you won't care if we applaud your brilliance. You will be one of us. 

   Then you will tear down the ego wall and use those stones to build a bridge of warm relationship. We will meet on that bridge. We will hear you then.  All speakers are joyously understood when the reach with understanding.

Your Audience.

Calvin miller's letter.