They Can No Longer Pull the Wool Over My "Ears"

****   Watch for Monday's post when I share about "My Return to Sound" and all the new accessories and gadgets I was given from Oticon for winning the 2014 "Focus on People" award for Advocacy. For now, here's a little story of how life has changed in our neighborhood since I reentered the world of sound.   ***

The neighborhood children often come to play in front of our home. I never really heard what was going on, and often they would try to talk to me while I sat on our second floor balcony watching them play. Countless times I had to tell them I couldn't hear or read what they were saying so far away. I would have go downstairs and outside to talk with them face to face.

The view from my balcony

Our 10 year old had been telling me that the other children often said mean things, called names and used inappropriate words. That came to an end when I got my new hearing aids. I started calling them out on these behaviours because I could now hear them. Since that day, they have been playing together so much better.

One little boy had been away for sometime visiting his dad and he didn't get the memo that I got new hearing aids. As I was sitting on the balcony reading, I heard the oldest girl exclaim quite loudly, "I can't believe you just said that! His mom can hear you now! You need to apologize!" Though I hadn't caught what the young boy said, I surmised whatever it was it wasn't nice.

Our 10 year old piped up and said, "Yes, my mom got new hearing aids and she can hear."

I calmly leaned over the balcony railing and said to the youngest boy, "You need to apologize for saying that." He looked down at the ground a moment, then turned to the girl and our son and apologized. He didn't know I didn't hear what he said, and I wasn't going to let on otherwise. I thought it was enough for him to assume they can no longer pull the wool over my "ears".

And I like that.