Fate of My Hearing Aid
FATE OF MY HEARING AID Shortly after my sixty second birthday, I decided to acquire a hearing aid. Its acquisition was a luxury. I could follow most conversations by reading other people’s lips. This ability had stood me in good stead during the lectures delivered to my students at the University. It enabled me to reply to questions raised in class. But I was no longer able to hear derogatory whispers – even loud ones – made by members of my bored captive audience. The hearing aid was expensive. It was also a troublesome acquisition. You had to remove it before taking your daily shower and prior to retiring. In addition, you had to fine tune it, especially if people with whom you lunched raised their voices or spoke too softly. Yet another disadvantage was that you heard the words of people occupying adjacent tables. On one occa...