Sometimes I think I can't hear. I actually mean that. Though, it could be that most people are just lousy-ass mumblers. I don't know. I lean more toward the "I physiologically can't hear stuff very well" end of the spectrum because when I'm just sitting around quietly, one of my ears will start making that sound you hear on the TV when the colorbars are up--what we in the TV business know of as "100% tone."
$*#%^! I hate that sound.
Sometimes when that sound starts, what we in the doctorin' business know of as "tinnitus", it dampens the surrounding noises. Sometimes it's the right ear, sometimes it's the left ear. Rarely both of 'em will go at once. More often, I think, it's the right ear. The right side seems to have more mufflage, too. The tone phenomenon has been going on since my teen years, but seems to be increasing in frequency with age.
Because of the muffling, you'd think that I'd do well in loud social situations, but the reverse is true. Just to mess with me, I'm still very sensitive--maybe too sensitive--to loud noises and avoid them at all costs. This is why I am not wont to spend time in bars, clubs or huge house parties. I spend most of the time smiling and nodding politely, having no clue what anyone is saying at all, and wondering why can't they turn down the damned stereo a little bit in here. It makes me want to engage in some classic autistic behavior: develope complete disinterest in other people, flapping hands in frustration, and fleeing the scene to seek comfort. Concerts? Eh, pretty much no. I think I can count on one hand how many concerts I've been to.
I'm kind of a buzzkill.
I bring this up now because I feel like I always have to ask people to repeat themselves. Not because I can't actually hear the noise they're making, but because it most often is just noise to me. It's as if I'm in a foreign country: I am not able to interpret what the hell they're saying. This happened 5 minutes ago when I had to ask a colleague to repeat himself 3x and I still didn't know what exactly he was trying to get across (MUMBLER!). So I gave up and just nodded knowingly and said, "Oh, I know, I know. Total bitch, isn't it?" He didn't laugh, give me an evil look, try to fight me or run off crying, so it must have been kinda relevant.
Or maybe he's blogging about me right now.
Jerk.
I hear you on all counts, no pun intended (well maybe). I like the autistic flapping of hands, and probably have actually engaged in such responses.
ReplyDeleteAs for having people repeat themselves...maybe this is hereditary, because this happens to be one of my self-pet peeves. WHY CAN'T I HEAR?! Maybe you're right. Because we don't want to hear it. A lot of what people say is nothing anyway, so maybe its a filter worth having.
I love this post.
Damn, I thought that the entire, "Can't understand what anyone is saying... F' this, I'm going home" mentality was just me.
ReplyDelete