I don’t hear very well. It’s not a big deal as I’ve learned to cope — I speech read, I wear hearing aids and I use a special wireless device to talk on the phone. (The device makes me sound like I’m in a well but it’s better than the alternative — email only.)
Many people (who don’t know me well) are often shocked to learn how bad my hearing is. I could not function very well in the hearing world if I did not wear hearing aids. I definitely could not do my job, watch TV (I need CC even with my aids) or go to movies.
But with hearing aids I am fine — at least usually. Not today.
Today I almost got beaned by one of those earth-friendly no-gas cars that don’t make any noise. (Well, they must make some noise but not enough…I’ll explain.)
I was walking in the lane behind my house this morning and I turned around because I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye. As I was turning, I realized it was a car moving rather swiftly — and silently — just inches from me.
It shook me up a bit. I don’t like to jaywalk because of my hearing but I was just a few feet from my door when this happened.
I didn’t give the guy the finger because a) I prefer to swear and b) because there was no way he could have known that I could not hear him. Not to mention that I did step out of my path a bit unpredictably.
Still.
All cars in my world should be diesel and/or equipped with faulty mufflers.