Snap, Crackle, Hiss

The Beatles are playing from my Media Player program. I've listened to pretty much everything in my Media Player music library, and until Thursday afternoon, thought that the sound coming from my speakers was clipped off at the upper frequencies. Thursday afternoon, new hearing aids installed, I was delighted to find that those upper frequencies had been magically restored. I did a Steely Dan festival that day.

Everything sounds weird after twenty five years of diminishing hearing is suddenly restored. Things have that top end hiss, that hard-edged crackle that I remember but haven't heard in many years. My shoes on the road, the traffic, the microwave, the cats' meow, the keyboard I'm typing on, my own voice - every sound is a little startling, but I'm getting used to it.

There have been a few times since we moved to Albuquerque that I have wished that our real stereo was unpacked and set up. Thursday through today, during the four hours a day I'm wearing my aids (a break-in period for my ears and brain) I've wondered how much better it will sound with my ears on. I guess I'll find out this summer in our new location.