Of all the words in the dictionary, the one word heard in our condo the most is “What?”
Usually, it’s my wife asking me a question and I have no idea what she is saying, so I smiled when I read the recent commentary on the pleasures of life with hearing loss in the senior years (“When the challenges of growing old are joys,” Oct. 17).
My wife usually gets upset when she asks me, “What are your plans for the day?” and I answer, “I have no idea where your pans are.” I didn’t make that up. It is what I hear — or at least think I hear. Her next question is, “Are your hearing aids in?” and I usually answer, “Yes, but I don’t understand what you are saying.”
My hearing problems are from flying helicopters in the U.S. Army for six years. I sometimes point to my ears and shake my head at parties, which usually causes people to just holler louder. When I get together with a bunch of old friends, we end up laughing over the nonsense conversations we have when we have no clue or hear something other than what was said.
I don’t regret flying helicopters and I accept my hearing loss with the knowledge that my hearing aids will help me greatly to hear. As for understanding, that’s another problem.
I’d discuss my other problems but, unfortunately, I’ve forgotten them. You can ask my wife. I’m sure she has a list. But ask me if I’m happy, I say, “Yes, extremely.”
— Stas Chrzanowski, Baltimore
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