I do not remember the man's name, or if I ever knew it; he was a customer at the grocery store where I work. He stood on the other side of the cash register and adjusted one of the hearing aids behind each ear that attached to a plastic pad at the back of his head, a hearing implant. He leaned forward a little to hear me better and his grey hair fell across his wrinkled brow.
HIS STORY
"I woke up one morning, when I was forty two." He said, "And I had no hearing in my left ear. It was gone! The doctors still don't know why; I had no injury, or tumor, or stork. Nothing could explain it; I was just deaf in that ear and have been ever since."
He saw my questioning look for he had an implant behind the other ear.
"Two years later" he continued, "I woke up and realized I had lost the hearing in my other ear. Just like the first- no explanation, I did not have a stroke or tumor or trauma. I just went deft. The implants will help, but my brain will have to learn to hear all over again. The doctors say I may recover about 60% of my hearing with the implants."
He paid his bill with a smile and went on his way.
REMINISCES
I have not seen him since but I have thought about his experience often. I don't know if the mystery of why he lost his hearing was solved; I do know he was grateful for the implants that have given him some recovery of hearing.
A LESSON LEARNED
When I wake up I look at the room and listen to the sounds, I sit up and put my feet on the floor, and I stand up and get dressed. Many people can't do those things. I am healthy today but I don't know about tomorrow. Will I be able to see, hear, and stand or will something happen and I lose my vision, ability to stand, or to hear?
Every day I enjoy those blessings things I am grateful for them.
"I came naked from the womb and naked I will depart, the Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." Job 1:21
