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| LIAM IS LISTENING |
I have read her book twice. And she is at the Hillside library. An
author visit; the announcement states.
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| ANNOUNCEMENT FOR KATHERINE'S PROGRAM |
Nice way of phrasing... As it is a talk. Exchange of info, not a lecture or a class... I don't know if you are able to read the blurb on the announcement, if not, you may click to make it larger. Here is a link to give you some more info. Katherine writes a blog. the first entry speaks of her visit to our library.
http://www.katherinebouton.com/
Unlike Katherine I did not know I had a hearing loss. I misheard. Answered what I thought was said. And my mishears were famously funny. Here is one
"Carol, come over and see my wiener display" is what I hear from the cubicle to my right. My coworker is saying this and I try to process this unusual invite. I answer "I am not looking at any wieners and if I do I will have to write us all up" "Aw come on Carol, be a sport" cajoling from our cubical circle. I decide to give it a view and announce "Okay, but we are all in trouble" I travel the 5 feet next door and see a very quaint sweet winter wonderland display has been created. A decorated tabletop illustrating a winter lake with ice skaters snow, music and seasonally appropriate miniatures.
Oh wow! Winter display, not wiener. Yikes. Maybe there was a wiener dog in it.
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| WEDGED WIENER DOG |
In April 2013 I wrote about another mishear; you may remember the
Dog is Dead blog story. What Paul had said was "the dog is fed" I heard "the dog is dead"
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| NOT DEAD, RESTING ON HILLARY'S HEAD |
Here is the link for a quick refresher. I refer to Katherine, her book and my ENT visit.
http://liamlicks.blogspot.com/search/label/hearing%20not
I have since received new hearing aids. These are state of the art. I admit to people that I wear hearing aids. I show them upon request. Hearing aids now come in many colors. They can be like a fashion accessory. If my ears were visible I would have picked lime green. The audiologist suggests a two tone color to match my hair. Guess that would be the brown lowlights and blond highlights. They are not visible when worn. See pic
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| MY BLOND AND BROWN HEARING AIDS |
The two tone color piece goes over the ear and the rubber inserts go in..
.red for right...
blue left. The plastic loop goes in front of the ear, anchoring both parts.. They speak to me when they are in...so cool..."right ready" and "left ready" I am grateful for whatever technology can do. No hiding this problem. My best pair yet in the ten years of wear. No hiding from the world.
Not going to be Ruth. My mother had to quit her job. In retirement, people ignored her. Turned their backs at lunch, at dinner...Why? In conversation folks want a flow, they want to keep it going. It takes work to communicate and involve a person with hearing difficulties. However, those of us with hearing loss need your face. We use your expressions and your lips and your body language and context of your words to figure out what is being said. Don't whisper in my ear. Don't shout...I sound Ruthless. Have to be persistent. Helen Keller famously shared that her loss of hearing was the sense she missed most. Silence. As the world moves on in pantomime.
My known enthusiasm and serendipitously timed arrival at the talk snag me an interview pre-talk and after. I tell the reporter the reason for my hearing loss-it is hereditary; I add in its unexpected diagnosis at an ENT appt for a sore throat. I tell of the mishears, the missed stories. The lost conversations.
Katherine signs her book and hands it to me and now I have my own copy.
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| LIAM, ZOEY THE ZEBRA AND MY BOOK |
The reporter/interviewer tells me that my interview will be in the newspaper. Pictures are taken. That was one month ago. I thought I heard "You will be in the newspaper" Wonder what else might have been said. Or maybe I am being saved for a magazine, or a book. Has anyone seen me?
Anyway. Please be kind to those who say "what" we really want to hear. And if we seem to have misheard don't give up...remember the wiener/winter. Liam does not give up. He keeps on barking.
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| DO YOU HEAR ME? |
