Monday, February 22, 2010

you know you are getting old when.....

When I was younger I used to listen to my walkman all the time. A walkman, for my young readers, is the great-great grandfather of the ipod. The original walkmen consisted of a 10 pound tape recorder that came with headphones that you could plug in. (tape recorder, the great-grandfather of the cd player and the brother of the 8 track and the son of the record player....) However it is related to technology of now, that is what we listened to then....

I would shlep around my tapes..phil collins, sting, my boyfriend Rick, debbie gibson(the great grandmother of britney spears) and so on. The music was on loud and often. This was for two main reasons 1. I loved music(and still do) and 2.I couldn't hear my mom yelling at me if the music was on loud enough (oh that is why my kids all walk around with their ipods on, now I know..man I am old and clueless...)

When you are young and think that nothing can happen to you, leaving the music on that loud for that long doesn't seem to bother you and you think it will have no effect on you. But now, I find myself saying "what" alot. And I mean a lot...in fact, my boys will say something to me, I will look at them and before it comes out of my mouth, they will say "what" to me because they know I have no idea what they just said-BECAUSE I CAN'T HEAR THEM!!!! I can hear a little-but not as much as I should...should I get this tested or just go with it? In crowded rooms, if you come up to talk to me, chances are I will agree with whatever you are saying because, truthfully, I have no idea what you are saying and I don't want to be rude (yes, that is what I just said....unless I don't like you and then I will keep making you repeat whatever it is that you have said over and over and over again...)

When my grandparents used to come visit us from Brooklyn, my grandfather would sit on the couch, turn his hearing aid off, and just smile at everyone-not having a clue what was going on in the conversation. Perhaps this was done on purpose? Isn't everyone entitled to some peace and quiet? When Jack and I were in Florida, we went out to dinner with my in-laws and my father-in-law couldn't hear a thing we were saying, now, of course this has its good points (of which I will not go into) but, we had to feel sorry for the guy-and that is with a hearing aid....which basically means, there is no hope for me. I am doomed to let nature take its course...

So even though loud music is better, it is necessarily better for you, or for me, as the current case maybe...so next time you see me somewhere and you say something to me and I don't answer you, it's not because I am ignoring you, it's because I can't hear you...(that's my story and I am sticking with it)

Happy Monday....