The Coffee House

[pgriz]

we sat in circle groups in highschool. All the boys tried to get the chairs on the opposite side of the circle from a certain girl that wore short dresses and never crossed her legs in group.

And her family name was "Stone", right?

 

[bribrius]

we sat in circle groups in highschool. All the boys tried to get the chairs on the opposite side of the circle from a certain girl that wore short dresses and never crossed her legs in group.

And her family name was "Stone", right?

No. Everyone always wondered if she didn't know any better or she did it on purpose. She seemed rather oblivious but i was just so so obvious. It added some mystery and excitement to class.

 

[pgriz]

I would looooove to be hard-of-hearing. I rarely admit this out loud because 9 times out of 10, this is met with, "Oh, you don't mean that!" First of all, don't ever tell me what I do or do not mean. Second of all, you have no idea how much easier my life would be if my hearing were worse. I don't need to be completely deaf - just enough that I can hear with a hearing aid...and then be able to turn that jamming thing off when I don't want to hear anymore!

You know, Leonore, there are such things as earplugs. There are those polymer ones that look like wax and you mould them to fit into your ear - used by swimmers to keep the water out, or the foam ones that many workers use in noisy environments. They will work to keep the noisy universe out or at least much less present. But that presents a problem, because all those sounds anchor you in the here and now. Without them, it's a cocoon of silence, and often one discovers the noisiness of one own's mind. And that's assuming one doesn't have a case of tinnitus.

If the ambient environment is too noisy for your comfort, consider the earplugs, or perhaps some ear buds on which you can play whatever masking sound which works for you (white noise, or gregorian chants, or birds chirping, or even Wagner, if that's what works for you). My wife often sleeps with the radio on - something that works for her, but would drive me nuts if I could hear it. On the other hand, having hearing loss is a little like walking around in the dark with a rather dim flashlight illuminating the area close to you - not recommended if there are things in the dark that you need to know about.

I can't wear earplugs.

I had been wearing them for several years while sleeping (is this part of the sentence grammatically correct?) but my ears can't stand them anymore. They hurt.

Earplugs CAN hurt if they apply pressure to your ear canal. However, you may want to check out the "wax" that some swimmers use to block the water out. They are made from a polymer material (probably silicone-based) and are soft, intended to be inserted into the ear canal and take its shape. However, these tend to be throw-away. Another method is to have a soft mold made at a hearing aid place, that fits your ear, and is "permanent" in that you can take it out and wash it as needed.

 

[bribrius]

Big changes going on at tpf. People seem to have left, lot of new people coming in. It is like a graduating class being replaced by the next. Since i am still here i wonder if i got held back.

 

[mmaria]

Earplugs CAN hurt if they apply pressure to your ear canal. However, you may want to check out the "wax" that some swimmers use to block the water out. They are made from a polymer material (probably silicone-based) and are soft, intended to be inserted into the ear canal and take its shape. However, these tend to be throw-away. Another method is to have a soft mold made at a hearing aid place, that fits your ear, and is "permanent" in that you can take it out and wash it as needed.

trust me, I tried them all, but just can't stand anything in my ears anymore... The last time I used them was about 3 years ago I think.

I'll just mention here that the best earplugs were the ones I got from an USA soldier serving in Iraq. After them, nothing was helpful anymore... They were so good

 

[snowbear117 48]

People seem to have left . . .

There are a couple that I wish would take that train out, but they haven't. Oh, well.

 

[bribrius]

People seem to have left . . .

There are a couple that I wish would take that train out, but they haven't. Oh, well.

who? Am i one of them? I have a suspicion my involvement will slowly decrease. Other than tech questions i am running out of reason to log in. suppose it is nice to just say hi.

 

[snowbear117 48]

No, you are not one.

 

[sm4him]

Sharon, I've had hearing loss from about 6 months of age, but it was discovered only when I started going to school, when a teacher remarked that I paid attention when she was in front of me, and I totally ignored her when she was out of my vision. After a battery of tests, it was decided that despite my "disability" I was coping with it well enough that I should just continue with normal school. By high school, those coping methods were not enough, and I got hearing aids. I've been wearing various models ever since. Most people don't clue in that I'm "hearing impaired" and sometimes it takes people a few months before they notice them.

In my case, our medicare system pays for my hearing aids (there's a list of criteria that are used to decide this, and fortunately for me, my situation checks most of the checkboxes), AND I've found a company that is very focused on doing the right thing for its clients (again, many companies in this field are just about maximizing their revenues and client needs are very low down on their priority list), so I consider myself very fortunate. There is a huge difference in what I can perceive when I wear them, compared to when I don't. So if you've had hearing loss for a while, have it tested, and then find a local company who can give you advice and support. How much of a difference is it? In photographic terms, it's the the difference between a two-setting Brownie, and a prosumer DSLR with a "L" or gold lens on it. You say it doesn't strike you as bothersome, but you may be surprised at how much of a difference it can make.

Oh, I've had it tested. The last time I had it done was when my sister-in-law was still alive. She was a social worker at the Tennessee School for the Deaf here, and so I was able to get good, independent (i.e. not trying to sell you anything) and FREE testing. But I could kinda kick myself now, because back then I was way too obstinate to pursue it any further as far as getting hearing aids. I could have gotten a better deal through my s-i-l; but I was a struggling single mom, and even though she would have gladly just PAID for the things, I wouldn't hear of it (see what I did there??)…but on the other hand, I couldn't afford them on my own either.
Now that I might actually acquiesce, she's not here any longer and we can't get the sweet deals we got through TSD. And I'm STILL too obstinate to pay the outrageous prices they charge.

I'm sure it really would make a difference. Might even make me a (ever-so-slightly) more pleasant person to be around. One of these days.

I still remember when I got my eyeglasses, which was a LONG time ago, when I was in second grade. I'd needed them for years, but nobody realized it. Anyway, the single thing I really remember after getting my first pair of glasses was walking outside and realizing that, even standing there on the sidewalk, I could see the actual LEAVES on the tree, not just a general mess of green on a brown trunk. I truly had NO idea you were supposed to be able to see things like that!

 

[pgriz]

Occasional histrionics aside, there's much to be learned by taking part in the discussions. Sometimes it's something technical. Sometimes I get a feeling that my mind as not as open as I thought it was. And sometimes, it's the same fascination as a train wreck - it's awful, but you can't look away.

 

[KenC]

My eyes and ears aren't working that well, but that's just a coffee deficit right now (as long as I don't lose my glasses, which I've worn since I was about eight). Back at work today and fortunately no trouble so far.

 

[sm4him]

Earplugs CAN hurt if they apply pressure to your ear canal. However, you may want to check out the "wax" that some swimmers use to block the water out. They are made from a polymer material (probably silicone-based) and are soft, intended to be inserted into the ear canal and take its shape. However, these tend to be throw-away. Another method is to have a soft mold made at a hearing aid place, that fits your ear, and is "permanent" in that you can take it out and wash it as needed.

trust me, I tried them all, but just can't stand anything in my ears anymore... The last time I used them was about 3 years ago I think.

I'll just mention here that the best earplugs were the ones I got from an USA soldier serving in Iraq. After them, nothing was helpful anymore... They were so good

Marija, you really ARE my daughter!
I can't wear 'em either. Even the smallest little earbuds hurt my ears after just a short time. I've worn earplugs sometimes when really necessary, but I just can't do it for very long, certainly not overnight. I used to be on the swim team in high school and didn't even like that wax in my ears!

P.S. I am NOT nearly as messed up an individual as it is starting to sound like I am. Yes, I'm an introvert with ADHD, OCD, misophonia, hearing loss and very sensitive ears. Oh, and diverticulitis, might as well throw that one out there too. And bad knees. And horrible eyesight, and more "floaters" than my eye doctor has ever seen in one individual. And OCD, did I mention that?? Oh, and chronic depression, though that's been almost completely under control for several years now--except when it's winter, because then I have SAD on top of the depression (Seasonal Affective Disorder). And the occasional anxiety attack.
But other than that, I am a PERFECTLY normal individual.

 

[pgriz]

Sharon, you're human AND a perfectly normal individual. It's the "perfect" ones you have to worry about because anyone who's "perfect" is just stage-managing their appearance/perception, and you have to wonder about what they are really hiding.

 

[KenC]

I suppose we all have some numbers to press when we call the hotline ...

Funny Jokes Mental Health Hotline

 

[snowbear117 48]

Earplugs CAN hurt if they apply pressure to your ear canal. However, you may want to check out the "wax" that some swimmers use to block the water out. They are made from a polymer material (probably silicone-based) and are soft, intended to be inserted into the ear canal and take its shape. However, these tend to be throw-away. Another method is to have a soft mold made at a hearing aid place, that fits your ear, and is "permanent" in that you can take it out and wash it as needed.

trust me, I tried them all, but just can't stand anything in my ears anymore... The last time I used them was about 3 years ago I think.

I'll just mention here that the best earplugs were the ones I got from an USA soldier serving in Iraq. After them, nothing was helpful anymore... They were so good

Marija, you really ARE my daughter!
I can't wear 'em either. Even the smallest little earbuds hurt my ears after just a short time. I've worn earplugs sometimes when really necessary, but I just can't do it for very long, certainly not overnight. I used to be on the swim team in high school and didn't even like that wax in my ears!

P.S. I am NOT nearly as messed up an individual as it is starting to sound like I am. Yes, I'm an introvert with ADHD, OCD, misophonia, hearing loss and very sensitive ears. Oh, and diverticulitis, might as well throw that one out there too. And bad knees. And horrible eyesight, and more "floaters" than my eye doctor has ever seen in one individual. And OCD, did I mention that?? Oh, and chronic depression, though that's been almost completely under control for several years now--except when it's winter, because then I have SAD on top of the depression (Seasonal Affective Disorder). And the occasional anxiety attack.
But other than that, I am a PERFECTLY normal individual.

And there's that Volly football thing, too!