Can You Hear Me Now?

I came into this world in a normal way, I guess. I don't remember it. Actually, I don't remember much until I was about 4 or 5. My parents told me that when I was about 4, which I also don't remember, I was almost hit by a semi-truck on the road. How does this happen? Well, I'm not too sure, but as a result of me almost getting hit, my mom took me in to a hearing doctor and had my hearing checked. Apparently, I just didn't hear the truck.

So, we went to the doctor and my mom said I was tested and I passed the test no problem. I guess she was perplexed by this. How was it I couldn't hear a truck, but could pass a hearing exam? My mom suggested I was reading the tester's lips and repeating words back using that. The doctor said it was crazy and I couldn't possibly do that since I was only 4 years old. She asked the doctor to cover the lips and try the same test, sure enough I failed. Obviously, I don't remember any of this, and now all my memories include my trusty hearing aids.

I guess after getting fitted for my spare ears, I got home and ran into the house screaming in horror. A sound had scared the bejeezus (or however you spell that) out of me and I wanted my mom to tell me what it was. She obliged, came outside, listened, and told me what I had heard was...a bird singing.

Why the hell am I writing this? Well, the time is coming soon, within the next year or so, when I must buy new hearing aids (I hope to put it off longer though...) It's quite expensive, but so worth it. It's amazing to think that so much depends on something so little--and expensive!

Throughout my life I've always considered myself lucky that I live now and not 50 years ago or something. I can't imagine not being able to hear simple things such as a cat's meow, one of Beethoven's piano piece (well, that's not simple, but it's a simple joy in life), or even a friend's voice in conversation. If I didn't have my hearing aids, I wouldn't even be able to produce normal speech. It's also a bit scary to think I am right on the line between being normal and in near-complete silence.

One thing I do enjoy about wearing hearing aids is NOT wearing them. It's nice to take them out at night and fall into a world of relative silence. It's hard to describe what it's like, but if I were to give it a try, I would say it's like a winter's day. Remember those days when the snow is falling, there are no cars on the road and all the world has been muffled by the snow? It's something like that. It's actually quite peaceful. Dog barking at night? I don't hear it. Thunder? I don't hear it but the light from lightning wakes me up. My mom once joked that I could sleep through a tornado. I hope this isn't the case, and I don't want to give it a try.

Anyway, just some of my thoughts on that. When, and if, I buy new aids, I'll put a picture up of them. Right now I have what's called in the canal aids, they're nice, but extremely expensive. I might just go for the behind the ear one's next and save myself 50%.

As a reward for reading this boring post, one of my favorite Beethoven sonatas. It's even sweeter when I think I have the privilege of listening to something that Beethoven couldn't have when he wrote it.