HearingtheSweetestSongsMyparentssaidIlostmyhearingasababy,butIknewIhadn'tlostanything.Noneofmypartshaddroppedoff.Nothinghadchanged:Icouldhearmusicthatwascloseenoughtome.Icouldalsohearmymomwhenshewa
HearingtheSweetestSongs
MyparentssaidIlostmyhearingasababy,butIknewIhadn'tlostanything.Noneofmypartshaddroppedoff.Nothinghadchanged:Icouldhearmusicthatwascloseenoughtome.Icouldalsohearmymomwhenshewasinthesameroom.IcouldevenhearmycatpurrifIputmygoodearontopofhim.
Iwasn'tawareofanyhearinglossuntilIbegantowearahearingaidwhenIstartedlivingalone.Inoticeditruinedmypeaceofmind:pencilstapping,phonesringing,andrefrigeratorshumming.Then,IbegantodiscovermanythingsIcouldn'tdo.Icouldn'ttellwheresoundscamefrom,norcouldItellfirealarmsfromburglaralarms.IoncemissedajobinterviewbecauseImisheardtheaddressonthephone.Forthefirsttime,IhadtoadmitthatIhadlostsomething.
Unlikeawheelchair,mydisabilitydoesn'tannounceitself.WhenIgotjobs,Ichosetokeepitasasecret.Onedayabusinessfriendsaid,"Nicolette,sometimesinmeetingsyouanswerthewrongquestions.Peopledon'tknowyoucan'thear,sotheythinkyou'restrange,stupid-orjustplainrude.Itwouldbebettertojusttellthem."ButIknewifItold,peoplemightseeonlymydisability,andtheymightforgetthatIwasalsoawriter,apainter,andagoodgardener.Ifeltdisabledandhelpless.
ThisbotheredmetillImetmyhusband.OnemorningattheshoreIwaslisteningtothesoundsoftheseawhenmyhusbandsaid,"Hearthebird?""Whatbird?"IlistenedharduntilIheardatinysound.Ifhehadn'tmentioneditIwouldneverhavenoticedit.AsIlistened,slowlyIbegantohear-orperhapsimagine-adistantsong.DidIreallyhearit?Orjustheardinmyheartwhathesharedwithme?Irealizedthatsongsimaginedwereassweetassongsheardandsongssharedweresweeterstill.
Thissharingiswhatboththedisabledandnon-disabledwant.Everyoneofus,ifwelivelongenough,willbecomedisabledinsomeway.Let'sshare.Now,justletmeseeyourlipswhenyouspeak.Andaskwhatyouwanttoknow.Theseareconversationsweallshouldhave,andit'snotthathardtobegin.
25.Whentheauthorworethehearingaid,she___.
A.feltbetterpreparedforthejobinterviews
B.wasabletoenjoydifferentsounds
C.experiencedasenseofloss
D.wasteased