Complexity of Life

July Spider Web by J. Binford-Bell

It has been an interesting week. At such times I am rather amazed at the complexity of life. I thought it was just allergies and resultant congestion, and had you asked me I would say it had been going on for just two to 3 weeks. That I might be losing my hearing only occurred to me in the middle of the night when I would wake up being only able to hear the roar of my own pulsing blood.

It was allergies and blocked Eustachian tubes, but it was also wax buildup in my ear canal. It it was not just two weeks bur more like four that the combo had gotten bad enough to notice. How long it was bad enough my cat noticed is hard to say. Living with just fur kids has its issues. There is nobody to tell you that you are not listening to them. I just figured Wee Willow was not meowing.

Finally got in to see the doctor and get the problem on the way to healing on Thursday. It was then I noticed that not only could I hear Wee Willow meow but I could hear her stomp! And who knew that tissue made a noise. At one point I actually considered putting cotton in my ears. The world was too noisy at times.

As an artist I am acutely aware when my vision is blurred. But the gradual dulling of my auditory senses was noticed only in that I was turning up the volume on TV and computer and stereo. When you finally get to 100% on all controls you sense that something might be wrong. Frankly I first believed it was my computer speakers. I actually went to Amazon and looked for some new ones. Thought I would get some for my flat screen TV too.

I blame it on the ear buds on my Ipod. I have changed to the buttons now. Some people think the ear buds like qtips push the ear wax down in your ear. That an toughing it through a horrid allergy season with the wildfire smoke and drought. I don't know if I will every turn up the volume on an audio device without asking myself why it is necessary.

I find myself really attune to Beethoven now. I plan to watch my DVD of Dearly Beloved again tonight. What he went through is so much more meaningful to me even though my brush with deafness was short and temporary it could have not been if ignored for much longer. We have blood pressure cuffs for home, and test devices for blood sugar. Why hasn't someone come up with a little box that emits certain tones (I found I was losing the low tones first) at a set volume so you could test your hearing? Why do we schedule yearly eye exams but not routine hearing exams?

So today I was at last able to sit down with a friend that mumbles, and looks down or away, and have a conversation with her. I didn't have to ask what once or stomp my feet like my cat because I was not being heard. But there is something to be said for silence. You see so much more.

Comments

  1. Diana mntsingerJuly 15, 2012 at 3:04 PM

    I know this one too well and probably need to get my hearing checked again now that you mentioned it :/ Glad to hear it was temp.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownJuly 15, 2012 at 3:41 PM

    ahhhh m'friend, silencio is overrated at times. Then again, I'm more attuned to the sounds around me. Sadly, years of not wearing ear protection - we never considered it in all honesty, means that I hear cicadas continually (tinnitus) and not a lot else unless it's loud.

    I'm glad you got your problem taken care of. I abhor earbuds - they hurt after a while. I like the small earphones. Better sound.

    ReplyDelete

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