Autumn may have commenced September 23rd, but Fall came to my neighborhood today. This is my favorite time of year because it appeals to all of my senses.
When I was young, my family took a road trip to this part of the state every autumn to see the colorful trees. Now I'm blessed to live here. In a couple of weeks, I will re-enact a favorite annual event. Less than a mile from my home is a roadway that traverses down a hill. There is much anticipation as I crest the hill and behold the mountains, their trees arrayed in reds, oranges, yellows, and greens. The intensity of their colors is heightened by the morning sun. I enjoy this daily trek while the display continues even if it's only for a short while.
County and state fairs are taking or have taken place. The thought of cotton candy melting on my tongue makes my mouth water. The memories are so real that I look down at my hands, expecting them to be sticky with the sweet confection. The scent of popcorn wafts through the air, mixing with the sweet smell of hay and the not-so-sweet odor of livestock. Screams of delight and/or terror drift overhead as the loud clackety clack of generators keep their own beat. Now and then you hear the honking of geese as they travel south under the light of the harvest moon. I enjoy the soft warmth of fleece against my skin as I snuggle into a comfy sweatshirt.
Cool weather ushers in thoughts of hot apple cider and oatmeal raisin cookies enjoyed in front of a crackling fire, cuddled with hubby under a quilt pieced by the loving hands of my grandparents while songs of a long ago era playing on a modern radio echo throughout the room.
It's the season of the pumpkin. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin rolls with cream cheese filling... YUM! I'm not one to carve a pumpkin into ol' Jack, although I appreciate the artistic talents of those who have taken pumpkin carving to a higher level. I'm a Libby's pumpkin gal... just plain pumpkin, not the pumpkin pie filling. I like to add my own seasonings as I prefer a bit more spice.
Second to pumpkins are apples. Apple pie, apple cobbler, baked apples, spiced apple cider, caramel apples (which I prefer over candied applies), and simply slices of a Honey Crisp apple which is my current favorite.
Yes, this is my favorite time of year. Until the bitter cold of winter arrives, I'll enjoy the sights, tastes, feel, and yes, the sounds of autumn.
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1
Friday, October 3, 2014
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Grieving Hearing Loss
The Stages of Grief. I read that people who lose their hearing grieve this loss. I believe there is some truth to that; however, I have never stopped to reflect until now.
1. Shock and Denial. Oh, yes, I was shocked when the doctor handed me a brochure titled "How To Communicate With The Hearing Impaired" and told me to take it home so my family could learn to communicate with me. He told me that he could not guarantee that I would have my hearing in eight years (that was eleven years ago, by the way). Yes, I was shocked. My first thought was "How can I do my job if I cannot hear?" As for denial, I never went through this stage, most likely because my condition is genetic. The proof was there. My grandfather had been hard of hearing. My father and many of his siblings have hearing loss. Cousins my age and older are also traveling this path.
2. Anger. I skipped this stage. I simply chose to not waste energy being angry about something that I can't control.
3. Depression and Detachment. When I was young, I didn't understand why my father didn't always wear his hearing aids. Now I get it. Our hearing loss is mostly in the register where speech occurs. However, we can pick up other sounds. When you lose hearing gradually and then get hearing aids, your senses get overloaded. You hear a LOT of noise. You just cannot understand it all. Restaurants provide unique challenges. I hear cutlery and dishes clattering, but cannot understand conversation. I no longer go to lunch every Friday with the girls from work. It's easier to withdraw than to struggle to participate in chit chat. So I definitely understand detachment and can see that continued withdrawal could lead to depression. Oh, but there are more stages so don't get stuck on this one.
4. Dialogue and Bargaining. The only bargaining I've done has been with our music director at church. I told him that I would sing in the choir if he promised to never allow me to be the loud woman singing off-key. I simply would not wish to distract others from worship. As for dialogue, I'm definitely there. I'm transparent about my hearing loss. To fake it is to deceive others. Nodding my head while not understanding isn't honest. So yes, dialogue is important. For communication to occur, others must know how to communicate with me. My team knows that if I don't respond when they approach me, it's OK to touch my shoulder to get my attention. I have encountered people who, if they noticed that I was speech reading (aka lip reading), covered their mouths with their hands. When I explained that I'm hearing impaired and was reading their lips, they were not only supportive but very relieved to know that they didn't have spinach in their teeth. Finally, I've started this blog to share my experiences. Dialogue? Absolutely!
5. Acceptance. Remember the Serenity Prayer? "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference." This is the stage when you look at your options and create a plan of action. As a wise woman once said "you can whine or do something about it." I choose to do something about it. I have a friend, J, who is the most outgoing, warm, loving, funny, courageous lady I know. Oh, yeah, she cannot see. Blindness does not define her. She has done things that I, a sighted person, would never attempt. She lives life to the fullest. Being hearing impaired is just a part of me. I am so much more. God has a plan for me.
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
1. Shock and Denial. Oh, yes, I was shocked when the doctor handed me a brochure titled "How To Communicate With The Hearing Impaired" and told me to take it home so my family could learn to communicate with me. He told me that he could not guarantee that I would have my hearing in eight years (that was eleven years ago, by the way). Yes, I was shocked. My first thought was "How can I do my job if I cannot hear?" As for denial, I never went through this stage, most likely because my condition is genetic. The proof was there. My grandfather had been hard of hearing. My father and many of his siblings have hearing loss. Cousins my age and older are also traveling this path.
2. Anger. I skipped this stage. I simply chose to not waste energy being angry about something that I can't control.
3. Depression and Detachment. When I was young, I didn't understand why my father didn't always wear his hearing aids. Now I get it. Our hearing loss is mostly in the register where speech occurs. However, we can pick up other sounds. When you lose hearing gradually and then get hearing aids, your senses get overloaded. You hear a LOT of noise. You just cannot understand it all. Restaurants provide unique challenges. I hear cutlery and dishes clattering, but cannot understand conversation. I no longer go to lunch every Friday with the girls from work. It's easier to withdraw than to struggle to participate in chit chat. So I definitely understand detachment and can see that continued withdrawal could lead to depression. Oh, but there are more stages so don't get stuck on this one.
4. Dialogue and Bargaining. The only bargaining I've done has been with our music director at church. I told him that I would sing in the choir if he promised to never allow me to be the loud woman singing off-key. I simply would not wish to distract others from worship. As for dialogue, I'm definitely there. I'm transparent about my hearing loss. To fake it is to deceive others. Nodding my head while not understanding isn't honest. So yes, dialogue is important. For communication to occur, others must know how to communicate with me. My team knows that if I don't respond when they approach me, it's OK to touch my shoulder to get my attention. I have encountered people who, if they noticed that I was speech reading (aka lip reading), covered their mouths with their hands. When I explained that I'm hearing impaired and was reading their lips, they were not only supportive but very relieved to know that they didn't have spinach in their teeth. Finally, I've started this blog to share my experiences. Dialogue? Absolutely!
5. Acceptance. Remember the Serenity Prayer? "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference." This is the stage when you look at your options and create a plan of action. As a wise woman once said "you can whine or do something about it." I choose to do something about it. I have a friend, J, who is the most outgoing, warm, loving, funny, courageous lady I know. Oh, yeah, she cannot see. Blindness does not define her. She has done things that I, a sighted person, would never attempt. She lives life to the fullest. Being hearing impaired is just a part of me. I am so much more. God has a plan for me.
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
The Sound of Crickets
Have you ever been in a situation where a question is posed and the response is an awkward silence? That awkward silence is sometimes referred to as the "sound of crickets".
My path in life is leading me toward an awkward silence so the "Sound of Crickets" seems an appropriate name for my musings. The fact that my uncle nicknamed me "Cricket" is coincidental. He dubbed me "Cricket" because, as an infant, I reminded him of Jiminy Cricket with my two large front teeth and big brown eyes.
In addition to brown eyes, I arrived with two well functioning ears. I noticed in college that I had challenges understanding speech at times. I later was diagnosed with neurosensory hearing loss, a genetic condition acquired from the paternal side of my family. Last week I discovered that the rate of my hearing loss has accelerated. Personally, there are some things that should accelerate... such as my "Racing Red" Ford Mustang. One thing is certain: I refuse to be a bystander on the pier, waving farewell as my hearing glides away on the ebb tide.
It's time to pull the Plan B Playbook from my back pocket. Learning American Sign Language with my husband should be entertaining. We may even videotape our efforts for laughs. ASL is an alternative method of communication so it's a must on my list. My current ASL vocabulary is limited to "I love pizza". Food first, right?
Continuing in my current career will become challenging as my hearing diminishes so I must prepare for a new career path. The field of Communications should provide opportunities to research, write, edit, and design... all non-verbal skills. To be competitive, I need to complete a degree in journalism which is easily within reach. I've utilized business and legal writing skills in my profession so a detour onto the path of creativity gives rise to a sense of adventure.
While I have no experience blogging, I hope that this effort will chronicle my journey, provide an instrument by which I can develop myself as a feature writer, and allow me to share information with others on the same path. Needless to say, having a little fun on the way is a must. After all, life is an adventure.
"Well, I see big adventures coming their way! Looks like it’s up to me to keep track of it all in my journal!" - Jiminy Cricket
My path in life is leading me toward an awkward silence so the "Sound of Crickets" seems an appropriate name for my musings. The fact that my uncle nicknamed me "Cricket" is coincidental. He dubbed me "Cricket" because, as an infant, I reminded him of Jiminy Cricket with my two large front teeth and big brown eyes.
In addition to brown eyes, I arrived with two well functioning ears. I noticed in college that I had challenges understanding speech at times. I later was diagnosed with neurosensory hearing loss, a genetic condition acquired from the paternal side of my family. Last week I discovered that the rate of my hearing loss has accelerated. Personally, there are some things that should accelerate... such as my "Racing Red" Ford Mustang. One thing is certain: I refuse to be a bystander on the pier, waving farewell as my hearing glides away on the ebb tide.
It's time to pull the Plan B Playbook from my back pocket. Learning American Sign Language with my husband should be entertaining. We may even videotape our efforts for laughs. ASL is an alternative method of communication so it's a must on my list. My current ASL vocabulary is limited to "I love pizza". Food first, right?
Continuing in my current career will become challenging as my hearing diminishes so I must prepare for a new career path. The field of Communications should provide opportunities to research, write, edit, and design... all non-verbal skills. To be competitive, I need to complete a degree in journalism which is easily within reach. I've utilized business and legal writing skills in my profession so a detour onto the path of creativity gives rise to a sense of adventure.
While I have no experience blogging, I hope that this effort will chronicle my journey, provide an instrument by which I can develop myself as a feature writer, and allow me to share information with others on the same path. Needless to say, having a little fun on the way is a must. After all, life is an adventure.
"Well, I see big adventures coming their way! Looks like it’s up to me to keep track of it all in my journal!" - Jiminy Cricket
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