They have ears, but they hear not. (Psalm 115 v 6)

When my brother Martyn and nephew Sam visited me in late May/early June I commented to them about my friend “B”, and his hearing problem. 


I said that “B” always asserts that "he does not have a hearing problem", and it’s that other people do not enunciate clearly.

My brother Martyn smiled and told me that I frequently asked him and/or Sam to repeat something one of them had just said.

I was nice enough to Martyn, but my thoughts ran like this “I wish that he and Sam would enunciate more clearly”.

That was then.  


This is now.

The “now” is that during the past week I have become aware of a great change in my ability to hear.

1.    I can no longer hear the comforting ticking of my two wind-up clocks.

2.    I cannot hear the ticking of my watch, even if I hold it next to either ear.

3.    In a group setting I find it hard to follow the conversations.

4.    The sounds of water flowing from the faucets/taps seem very far way, as do the noises I should hear from my computer keyboard.

5.    Lower pitched voices are easy enough to hear, but (for example) when I listen to my car radio I can hear low-toned sounds which seem extraneous and bothersome.

6.    On Tuesday 19th July 2011 I attended a Memorial Service for one of my neighbours at Sarasota’s First United Methodist Church.  I missed eight in ten of the words which the Pastoral Assistant of that Church uttered.  I was “cupping my ear” like an old fogey.  Of course it was the Pastoral Assistant’s fault.  She did not know how to speak up!


Oh sugar!   I am not a happy listener!

The optimistic side of me thinks that I am dealing with a temporary blockage to my hearing which my primary care physician will be able to make right.

The pessimistic side of me thinks that I have a real loss of hearing which will lead to a change in my lifestyle.

I’ll keep you posted.

Do you hear me?

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