Hearing Loss, Stigma & My Hearing Day

In response to a dear colleague, I want to talk about hearing loss, stigma, why you are all gobshites, beautiful music and my hearing day. Of course, I will ramble, lose the thread, insult at least several people and finally deliver profound wisdom. Okay, that last one was a lie.

I fell into the business of hearing care back in 2006 by accident. I found myself in a fascinating field of high technology, medical assessment and the underlying current of actually making a difference to people in their daily life. Oh, and not killing them.

The first time I saw someone with tears in their eyes after I turned on their hearing aids, I knew I had set them too loud. No, no, I hadn't, they were smiling, and I made sure to ask!!! They were smiling while crying because they could hear the voice of a loved one clearly for the first time in a long time.

The sense of accomplishment from that moment is astounding. The continued sense of happiness as someone continues to engage in their life is amazing. People I work with become vibrant, active and happier to engage with the daily things that ensure our wellbeing. Coffee and a chat, a laugh with a few friends, enjoying the joke first time, engaging with their grandchildren.

These things are wonders, whose true power are only felt with their loss. People rob themselves of these wonders, they actively conspire with the voices in their heads to steal the small joys in their life. Did you know people wait an average of seven years to deal with a hearing loss? All because of the wheedly voices in their heads and the stigma.

I don't understand, I have a hearing loss, and more often than not, I wear hearing aids to correct it. Why would I not? If I had lost an arm or a leg in combat, I would be wearing a prosthetic, again, why would I not? So why should there be an issue with wearing hearing aids? There just is no stigma for me, it's just logical.

There is no stigma with hearing loss other than the little voices in your head. Those voices that tell you that you are getting old, those voices that ask you what will people think. The voices that tell you that having to wear a hearing aid is some sort of statement on you, your age, your worth.

The voices in your head are lying to you! You know, generally, people are too busy just trying to deal with their own shit to worry about yours, and you all are being gobshites. Yup, gobshites. I hear it a lot, I would be embarrassed,

I don't understand that embarrasment, although, in fairness, I am infamous for not being too fucking interested in how people view me. Ask around, they will tell you. My answer when people say this is, are they not more embarrassed that their worry about what other people think stops them from helping themselves?

That embarassment will rob them of the joys in life? This embarrassment is born of the idea that hearing loss is some sinful statement on who they are, that it is a direct attack on their worth. That's all arse (Irish technical term) complete and utter arse.

Don't listen to the arse, hearing loss is not a statement on you, on who you are, on how old you are, it merely is. No more and no less. I have said it before, and I will repeat it, hearing loss is not a statement on you, it just is. Ask yourself, honestly, is it more embarrassing to be in control of your own ability to communicate or to stumble through life trying to bluff something while everyone knows you have a problem?

Because everyone knows you have a problem, and the truth of the matter is that they are probably more likely to pity you because you haven't taken steps to sort it. Because that is the truth, not doing something about a hearing loss that is affecting your life is a statement on you.

Being too vain or proud or caught up with the demons in your head that you don't take steps to deal with your hearing loss rather succinctly makes a statement about you. I repeat, you are a gobshite. Anyway, back to me, we have talked about you too much.

I love what I do, I love helping people by making a difference in their ability to communicate. I love supporting people to bring back the small joys in their life. I have been doing it for many years now and I don't think I will ever get bored or frustrated with it.

When it comes to my hearing aids, I love the simple joys that they give me. The streaming of an enchanting piece of music to my hearing aids. Hearing mobile phone calls clearly. The joy of listening to Terry Pratchett audio books. Catching up on the latest podcasts I follow. Hearing my Grandson say he loves me.

All of these things bring me joy. Those things are worth striving for, those things are worth fighting for. You know it to be true, you know that to ignore it is to shrivel up and die, to lose who you are, to lose the simple things that help you connect, that help you to be the centre of your world. The satisfaction of life, the pure unadulterated joys are yours to grasp, just get on with it, you will be far happier.

Now get on with it Gobshites.

#MyHearingDay