By David Trinko
The Lima News
I’ve always wanted to be a better listener.
Technology to the rescue!
I finally bent to the urging of my family recently and got hearing aids. It’s been an enlightening experience about everything that I’ve been missing.
As soon as I got my devices, which resemble small ear buds, I noticed sounds I hadn’t heard in years. One of the things you don’t realize is when you improve your hearing, you amplify all the sounds, not just conversations.
I noticed birds chirping, dogs barking and even how much noise shoes make. When I arrived at work the next day, I acknowledged how obnoxious my typing sounds when I type.
It’s been good, though. I’m asking fewer clarifying questions, and I’m not begging people to repeat themselves. I’m more aware of my surroundings.
I’m also more aware of how silly my resistance had been.
I’ve had decreased hearing since I was a kid, after countless ear infections that continue annually today.
I really started noticing a deficit in my hearing back in 2020, when we were all wearing masks to fight the spread of COVID-19. I realized I read lips to fill in the gaps when my hearing wasn’t sufficient. With people’s lips covered, I couldn’t fill in those gaps.
Eventually I had my hearing checked and found I was only half-hearing out of one ear, with less than 50% response.
So, if I knew four years ago I couldn’t hear well, why did I wait? I’m one stubborn guy.
Like many middle-aged guys, I don’t want to accept my advanced years. I embraced gray hair, but I don’t want all the deficiencies that come with nearly a half-century on this planet. I’ve always considered hearing aids a sign of old age, and I don’t feel old yet.
Ego keeps you from doing intelligent things sometimes.
Time passed, but recent months made the case. One daughter started collecting money for “Dad’s hearing aid fund.” My wife foundlower-cost alternatives. We finally had an impromptu family meeting, where everyone in the kitchen agreed I needed to be able to hear better. At least I think that’s what they said.
Now I’m hearing everything, even if I’m not sure I want to hear it all.
I can adjust the volume on my life as needed, from 0 to 15. I spend most of my days at 11, which is fun for anyone who enjoyed “This is Spinal Tap.”
I developed a fun joke when someone’s droning on about something, where I’ll pause them to adjust my hearing aid’s volume, then let them see me turn the volume all the way off. I’ve only done it twice, but it got big laughs both times.
It’s been a great improvement in my life in the few weeks I’ve had these hearing aids.
The irony of this success hasn’t been lost on me: I should’ve listened to my family a long time ago.
ONLY ON LIMAOHIO.COM
See past columns by David Trinko at LimaOhio.com/tag/trinko.
David Trinko is editor of The Lima News. Reach him at 567-242-0467, by email at [email protected] or on Twitter @Lima_Trinko.
