The Sweet Sounds
This past Friday was a rather auspicious day.
For those of you who didn't know, I suffered a head trauma after an auto accident on Christmas Eve 2006 and lost some of my hearing in my left ear. I've spent the past year and a half cocking my head to one side to listen to people with my right ear and, of course, arguing with my insurance company to pay for a hearing aide.
They bounced my claim back and forth between three different adjusters and made me fill out several trees worth of paperwork. Some of that paperwork even had to be filled out three different times, once for each insurance adjuster who handled my claim.
Well, after more than a year and a half of this, I finally got my hearing aide on Friday afternoon.
It's amazing how the world sounds different with one. I noticed sounds that I never really noticed before. The sound of a door opening or of it closing behind me. The sound my key made when I unlocked my car door. The subtle click when I turn on my turn signal.
I never really noticed any of these things before.
And, of course, I could finally talk with someone without having a desire to pivot my head so they were talking into my right ear.
As I was driving back from my doctor's office on Friday afternoon, I had this sudden desire to go to a concert.
It was a little over an hour later, as I walking through a building that might be a good candidate for conversion into a sound stage, that I got a phone call offering me free VIP tickets to see Mitch Ryder and Mark Farner.
The concert itself is always free, but these were tickets to the Marriott Party Deck on the 3rd floor of the Renaissance Center.
I was up there that evening - admiring the great view, drinking free beer and chowing down on complimentary cornucopia of beef, chicken and shrimp - when one of the event staffers came up to me.
"We're doing a meeting and greet with Mitch Ryder and Mark Farner in a few minutes if you'd like to meet them," he explained.
Fifteen minutes later, my friend John and I were standing next to the Rock Patriot himself, Mark Farner - formerly of the Grand Funk Railroad.
When it came time to meet Mitch Ryder, he commented on how much he loved my hat.
Mitch and I called each other earlier in the day to coordinate.
And yes, John did insist on that wine glass being in both of the photos.
When the concert finally started, I could hear everything just fine from the 3rd floor of the Ren Cen. Although, I will admit to doing one rather dorky thing.
At different times during the show, I would turn so that the band would be to my right - and then pivot so that they were to my left.
And they sounded the same out of both ears!
Okay - I know that's dorky. I guess you just have to experience 19 months of hearing loss in order to appreciate it.
Anyway, it was an amazing show. I met a ton of people, got invited to a couple of parties that are put on my other music acts - because when you're in VIP, everyone assumes that you're someone who they definitely want at their next party.
It's amazing how the universe will grant one's wishes every now and then.
For those of you who didn't know, I suffered a head trauma after an auto accident on Christmas Eve 2006 and lost some of my hearing in my left ear. I've spent the past year and a half cocking my head to one side to listen to people with my right ear and, of course, arguing with my insurance company to pay for a hearing aide.
They bounced my claim back and forth between three different adjusters and made me fill out several trees worth of paperwork. Some of that paperwork even had to be filled out three different times, once for each insurance adjuster who handled my claim.
Well, after more than a year and a half of this, I finally got my hearing aide on Friday afternoon.
It's amazing how the world sounds different with one. I noticed sounds that I never really noticed before. The sound of a door opening or of it closing behind me. The sound my key made when I unlocked my car door. The subtle click when I turn on my turn signal.
I never really noticed any of these things before.
And, of course, I could finally talk with someone without having a desire to pivot my head so they were talking into my right ear.
As I was driving back from my doctor's office on Friday afternoon, I had this sudden desire to go to a concert.
It was a little over an hour later, as I walking through a building that might be a good candidate for conversion into a sound stage, that I got a phone call offering me free VIP tickets to see Mitch Ryder and Mark Farner.
The concert itself is always free, but these were tickets to the Marriott Party Deck on the 3rd floor of the Renaissance Center.
I was up there that evening - admiring the great view, drinking free beer and chowing down on complimentary cornucopia of beef, chicken and shrimp - when one of the event staffers came up to me.
"We're doing a meeting and greet with Mitch Ryder and Mark Farner in a few minutes if you'd like to meet them," he explained.
Fifteen minutes later, my friend John and I were standing next to the Rock Patriot himself, Mark Farner - formerly of the Grand Funk Railroad.
When it came time to meet Mitch Ryder, he commented on how much he loved my hat.
Mitch and I called each other earlier in the day to coordinate.And yes, John did insist on that wine glass being in both of the photos.
When the concert finally started, I could hear everything just fine from the 3rd floor of the Ren Cen. Although, I will admit to doing one rather dorky thing.
At different times during the show, I would turn so that the band would be to my right - and then pivot so that they were to my left.
And they sounded the same out of both ears!
Okay - I know that's dorky. I guess you just have to experience 19 months of hearing loss in order to appreciate it.
Anyway, it was an amazing show. I met a ton of people, got invited to a couple of parties that are put on my other music acts - because when you're in VIP, everyone assumes that you're someone who they definitely want at their next party.
It's amazing how the universe will grant one's wishes every now and then.
Comments
Curious how the phase relationship between the good ear and the assisted one exists now...do you still get that bubble of perception around you when you close your eyes?
Can you do the Stevie Wonder/Ray Charles head swirl to achieve spacial recognition still?
(not THAT'S dorky, but hey!)
Cheers, my night Friday was magical as well...I needed to talk with Uncle Buck but hadn't seen him in over twenty years...and while he doesn't even GO to these corporate events usually, he felt he HAD to make this one.
Plus, meeting Willy Wilson was important to other things, too.
You got invited to other parties?!
Cheers!