I got hearing aids this week. (kinda shocking tbh)

I can’t hear. 

I figured that out last Memorial Day at a workshop.  My friend Kim Keller led a group of women in exploration about who we are as sexual beings. It was delicious, powerful, and transformational. We cried and hugged and shared all sorts of wonderful feelings.

 And I realized that I couldn’t hear what women on the other side of the circle were saying.

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At first, I thought they were mumbling. After 3 days of so called mumbling, I knew the problem was mine. 

It took a few months (and a few other clarifying moments -  like when a manicurist was coughing with a mask and I thought she was speaking Vietnamese. Or, the time I struggled to understand  Zootopia when my grandson watched without subtitles) before I got an appointment at Costco to get my hearing tested. It was another few months before I got amazing new hearing aids. Good news - they even match my hair!

Gotta say that initially the idea of getting HEARING AIDS seemed pretty horrifying. But, as I sit here now, any embarrassment I’ve felt about my hearing has totally disappeared. Now I hear other people effortlessly and my bionic ears even act as bluetooth receivers. 

Great for listening to my favorite podcasts.

Why am I talking with you about this when I’m usually talking about sex, not some quasi-geriatric health concern?

It’s because my hearing aid dilemma reminds me of the problems people have about sex for these 5 reasons:

1. Like a sex problem, my hearing loss was invisible, really known only to me and those closest to me. 
2. Like a sex problem, I could have decided that my hearing loss didn’t matter. 
3. Like a sex problem, my hearing loss wouldn’t get better without help, in fact it would have gotten worse every year. 

4. Like a sex problem, my untreated hearing loss would have kept me from living a fully expressed life.
5. Like a sex problem, my untreated hearing loss would have decreased my sense of connection and vitality. 

Gotta say that fixing my hearing issue has been a whole lot easier than I thought it would be. I bet that fixing your sex problem would be too. Maybe you should get on my calendar and schedule a virtual coffee with me. 

Here’s the link https://www.howtofixmysexlife.com/coffeedate.html

You got this!

Xoxo

Jane


PS: I blame my hearing loss on an amazing Lady Gaga concert about 10 years ago. Or maybe it was Elton John back in the day. Did those concerts blast my hearing? It could have been raising six little people who made all sorts of noises year after year. Who knows? It doesn’t matter and I’ve enjoyed it all.


PPS: Did you know that an uncorrected hearing loss can lead to permanent loss of the brain’s ability to process information? The brain wouldn’t understand things even when it’s properly receiving signals. Not cool. We’ve gotta take care of our stuff.