Red's Wrap
Happiness. It's relative.
Category: Hearing Loss and Cochlear Implant
Deaf Sounds
What makes you most anxious? One of the great charms of being deaf is not being able to hear one’s own voice. A deaf person can form words and say them, or think she’s said them, but is never quite sure that the words… Continue Reading “Deaf Sounds”
The Deconstruction and Reconstruction of a Woman’s Ego
It’s the part they don’t tell you. Your ego will go out and come back in again a dozen times during your life. And each time you’re flat and ironed out, you will somehow magically become robust and vibrant. But there’s no predicting when… Continue Reading “The Deconstruction and Reconstruction of a Woman’s Ego”
Sound Waves
You are what you hear She said, whispering, like smoke Wafting to echoes ________________ Photo by Stephen Hocking on Unsplash
Wordless, reprised
This is a piece I wrote a few years ago. It depicts as honestly as possible the isolation that results from hearing loss. I’m sharing it again because today I made the move toward a second cochlear implant and, by doing that, I decided… Continue Reading “Wordless, reprised”
Price
I laid awake last night thinking about whether to get a second cochlear implant. The first one was done in 2015. My right ear. It has worked well. It’s very functional. Bionic. If you don’t know, a cochlear implant basically replaces the cochlea in… Continue Reading “Price”
Booms and Echoes
There are twenty-two electrodes in my cochlea and this morning each was individually adjusted. I have been reprogrammed but without having to go to a special camp. I imagine my electrodes to be waving like tiny grasshopper antennae or like sea plants rooted on… Continue Reading “Booms and Echoes”
10,000 Moments
I want to tell you about 10,000 moments. But I’m not sure how. Each moment by itself would be too small to see. Too fleeting. Like snow flakes on the lawn. How could one moment be singled out for description, made more special than… Continue Reading “10,000 Moments”
Nome Friday Round-Up
Not that many places are unforgettable but I think Nome is. Sadly, I don’t think I’ll ever be back. What I’ve collected up this week by way of stones and stories will have to do. I’ve thought about that the whole time, telling myself… Continue Reading “Nome Friday Round-Up”
Listen Up
Telling the story of hearing loss is tough. It’s a disability thing. An old person’s thing. “Normal” people can find it hard to understand the impact of hearing loss on identity, self-worth, and, probably most important, relationships. Several years ago I wrote an essay… Continue Reading “Listen Up”
Mr. Tan Shoes and Me at KFC
The other night at KFC, an older guy came in while I was waiting for my order. His hair was completely white and he wore those tan orthopedic shoes that are popular with folks fed up with pretending. He ordered a big bucket of… Continue Reading “Mr. Tan Shoes and Me at KFC”
Listen to Jan read her essay “Billy” presented on WUWM’s Lake Effect
Jan’s essay “At the Breakfast Bar” on WUWM Lake Effect
Jan’s essay “The Parish Hall,” on WUWM Lake Effect
“Fury Cannot Touch Me,” Modern Love, NYT, 9/29/11
Red's Wrap 
Recent Comments