Helen Keller once said, “Hearing loss separates us from people while being blind only separates us from things.” She fully understood what it is to feel isolated and disconnected from people.

Most of us in the course of our lives have experienced a separation. These incidents come unbidden as in the death of a loved one or the dissolution of a relationship. Always the parting or severance is the same--there is a loss. If the occurrence is abrupt we will in time take action to relieve the hurt. But if that loss is gradual we hardly sense the need for action. Hearing loss is much like that. If the hearing goes suddenly it is noticed and action is taken to determine the cause and cure. If it is gradual it is often ignored or accepted as a normal course of life and aging.

Hearing loss is something you don’t fully understand until you experience it yourself. I once asked a lady, “How long do you suppose it will be until your grandchildren quit talking to you?” Her answer was, “They already have.” Helen Keller knew in total what isolation and being disconnected from people was like. As we get older it may seem that the younger generation has set us aside. That may not be the case at all—merely the result of “failure to communicate.” Young children don’t understand why Grandpa doesn’t hear them. That is likely true of all people with normal hearing. They just don’t “get it”.

For that reason, when you call and come in for our no charge/no obligation hearing evaluation, we encourage you to bring a close family member or friend. They will gain an understanding of what it’s like to have a hearing loss. No one with normal hearing can truly experience that the way you do--they don’t live in your body. With today’s electronics, we can simulate for the spouse or family member what normal conversation sounds like to the hearing impaired person to help them gain an understanding of the need for hearing aids.