CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

A few years ago there was a commercial for a cell phone company that was popular for the catch phrase “can you hear me now?” I’m not talking about cell phones, but I feel like my friends and family are finally able to ask me that question and receive a positive response from me.

Mama Sue now has hearing aids.

Can you see anything different just by looking at me?

I will admit, this was something that I fought. I know it’s silly, but I just didn’t want hearing aids. In my mind, hearing aids were something for old grandmothers with white hair.

Am I old? Age is just a number, but my number is about to be 72, so I guess that some folks would say that I’m old. Am I a grandmother? Sure am! I’m a proud grandmother of 9 and a great-grandmother of 2. Do I have white hair? Since I gave up trying to keep up with keeping it dyed, then yes, I have white hair. According to these crazy qualifications that I ridiculously placed on wearing hearing aids, then I guess that I fit the bill.  

My newest accessories!

In all seriousness, I’ve noticed that I have had to ask people to repeat themselves a lot lately. I needed my TV volume turned way up. In Sunday school, I couldn’t hear when the people around the room had questions or comments. Harold and Amy would tell me that I needed to go and get my hearing checked, and I didn’t like hearing that one bit. Let’s be honest…I probably didn’t hear it the first time, but I didn’t appreciate their insinuations that I couldn’t hear.

Why are we like this? I knew my hearing was getting worse, but I didn’t want to hear it.

Last week, I went for a hearing test. Guess what? Turns out that I am losing my hearing, and I have a profound loss in one ear. I swallowed my pride and got fitted for hearing aids, and let me tell you - they are the best things ever! I told Harold I feel like a kid again. I can hear! I don’t have to nod along and pretend that I know what is going on. I don’t have to turn up the TV volume to full blast. My hearing aids are tiny, but what a big difference they make.

Hearing aids have really come a long way!

Was it silly of me to dread hearing aids? Yes. I see that now. I knew it then, but I suppose my pride and my stubborn side won out for a while. I’m thankful that I laid them both down and did what I needed to do to improve my quality of life. As of today, if my family and friends ask me “can you hear me now,” I can proudly say that I sure can! That, my friends, is the best feeling in the world.

I have told you all that I want this page to be like you are sitting on my porch having a conversation with me, so that’s why I decided to share this today. The good news is that if you were on my porch talking to me, as of now, I could hear you loud and clear.

Remember that sometimes what is best for us may just look a little differently than we imagine it. Doesn’t mean it won’t end up being wonderful. Thanks for taking the time to read this blog. I am wanting to grow this platform. Please share with your friends, and leave me a comment. Let me know if you have silly things that you struggle with that you should just let go, kind of like me and my worries about wearing hearing aids. And remember…be salt and light!