Learning To Enjoy The Silence

It’s been a little over a month since I got my hearing aids. My feelings about them are mixed.

When I first got them, I loved the fact that I could suddenly hear everything. I would get excited over just being able to hear a clock ticking or an air conditioner blowing. These are sounds that the rest of the world take for granted but which I hadn’t heard in years.

However, after about two weeks, I found myself missing the silence. It’s hard to explain. Sometimes, I would hear so much that I felt overwhelmed. I know that’s because I’m still getting used to it all but there are times when you really do need the peace that comes from silence. If I’m at work or at the store or spending time with the people I love, I definitely want to hear. I’ve fallen in love with Lisa’s voice all over again. But when I’m trying to write or make plans for the future, I find that it’s easier to do without my hearing aids.

I actually feel lucky. When I want to be a part of the world, I put in my hearing aids. And when I need to escape from it all, I simply turn them off or take them out. It’s nice to have those options.

I’ve loved being able to hear again. But I’m also happy that I’ve learned how to appreciate the silence.

Life During The Wuhan Virus

This morning, I woke up and I turned on the TV.  On CBS, I was shocked to see a college basketball game being played.  Thinking that maybe these were two teams who were playing in defiance to the cancellation of their season, I then saw that the stands were full of cheering fans.

“Are they crazy!?” I thought.  Usually, I’ll defend college students against the argument that they’re all entitled and irresponsible but considering what’s going on in the world, this seemed like peak entitlement….

Just as I was reaching total outrage, I realized that I was watching an old game.  CBS is currently showing a Michigan State/Wisconsin game from 2015.  I imagine we’ll be seeing a lot of this.  With so many big sporting events being cancelled and so many tv shows and movies suspending publication because of the Wuhan Virus, I imagine a lot of networks will be turning towards the archives.

What a time!  Last week, around this time, Lisa & I were on an airplane flying back to the U.S. after spending two weeks in the UK and France.  That seems like a year ago.

Right now, due to the Wuhan Virus, life is on hold in many places of the world.  That’s certainly the case down here in Texas.  I’m going to be working from home until at least the end of this month.  Lisa’s office is going to be closed until at least April 13th.

I’m not panicking about the Wuhan Virus.  I’m taking all the necessary precautions because that’s all you really can do.  These are scary times but we’ll get through it.  America is a much stronger country than a lot of people are willing to admit.

As for me, I got groceries, some peanut butter, to last a couple of days.  No worries for me.

This ain’t no disco.  This ain’t no fooling around.  But we’ll survive.

The Coronavirus Is Scary As Hell

There’s no use in downplaying how serious this could be or denying that it’s preying on everyone’s mind.  The Coronavirus is frightening.

What makes it especially scary is that, right now, we’re largely dependent on news coming out of China.  Much like the Soviet Union during the Chernobyl crisis, the Chinese government has often shown that it’s willing to cover-up the truth if it means protecting it’s own infallible self-image.  When your governing philosophy is based on the idea that the State being infallible, it means that not only can you not acknowledge your mistakes but also that you can’t really correct them.

Speaking of Chernobyl, the entry for the miniseries that it inspired has apparently been removed from China’s version of the imdb.  It’s said that people were using the message boards to criticize their government’s lack of transparency about the Coronavirus and the Wahun quarantine and they were comparing China’s handling of the outbreak to the way the Kremlin tried to cover up the Chernobyl disaster.  That’s what happens when you place maintaining your own power over the health of your citizens.

Finally, I saw this on twitter.  This is from the World Health Organization: