Ear Trumpets To Electronics

Richie and I paid a visit to the audiologist yesterday afternoon to see just how deaf we actually are.  There have been some heated discussions of late...

Admittedly some loss was expected - Richie spent 36 years on the tarmacs of LaGuardia, DFW and LAX.  I worked for a rock'n roll radio station and then rock management where I attended recording sessions with speakers the size of the old sidewalk phone booths.  So our "Huh?"s were legit. 

Our hearing test concluded that he has lost more than I have (but he was gainfully employed for 36 years.)   There's no point in fooling myself; my day is coming, too.

To show us one and let us test drive it, the audiologist pulled out a model.  I was amazed that it was so tiny and that you can have the loop up and over your ear color-matched to the color of your hair.  No more flesh-colored which doesn't fool many people anyhow.  This is not an issue with Himself; he told the audiologist flatly, "I don't care."  If I were being a bitch, I'd add, "He doesn't need to!  With all of that hair?  No one's seen his ears since 1963!"

Hearing aids have been in existence, primitive to be sure, since the 17th century.  The King of Portugal had a special hearing aid throne made for him in 1819.  The throne arms had gaping lions' mouths.  The sound was to go into the mouths,  into a tube up the throne's back and up to a final tube near the King's ears. 

All the men I know who have them hate them.  Richie did have a pair and quit using them.  "All I can hear is a whistle."  "Aw, the battery's dead again!"  "They don't fit right which caused subsequent visits to the audiologist who had sold them to him.

There are a number of sites urging usage of them.  To hear TV better was probably the number one reason, followed by socializing and family life. 

As hearing loss and old age are practically synonymous and both mean lost powers it's no wonder men hate them so much.  The male ego is ... interesting.

One exercise offered was to count the number of devices you see on people in the supermarket, restaurant, bar - you will be quite surprised. 

Word to the Boomers and the iPod zombies - don't make fun of what you yourself will become.  Just wait for it ...