If a tulip falls in the kitchen, will anyone hear?

Dear Sarah - Day 78 of our daily drawing exchange

March 19, 2025
Hi Nikki,

Today was an interesting day. And by interesting I mean somewhat annoying. Since I am not young any more (in fact I am old) I decided that it might be a good idea to have a hearing test. I won't bore you with the whole story, but trust me--it was annoying. Apparently I have some hearing loss in the upper registers, but nothing profound. Nevertheless, I was told I "definitely" needed hearing aids, to the tune of $4500. Sitting in front of me on the desk was an info sheet describing all the dire consequences of not getting a hearing aid: Alzheiemer's, dementia, depression, social isolation etc etc. In other words, things that might scare someone into getting expensive hearing aids. I was going to ask for scientific research papers that supported these claims, but I just said that I couldn't afford $4500 for hearing aids, and the guy totally lost interest. Hence my annoyance. It all seemed quite predatory.

I came home and ate something and then drew the tulips that I bought yesterday. I used some of the kids' felt markers and crayons and by the time I finished, I was feeling so much better. And I like my drawing. Take that, hearing aid salesman.

Hope your trip to Airdrie was fruitful.

Tomorrow and Friday I'll be on Nana duty and we're going to do some arts and crafts (cause it's cold and rainy), so I may have some contributions from Kianna and Kai too.

XO S

PS It turns out that hearing loss can be a risk factor for dementia and Alzheimer's disease, (thank you, Dr. Google) but I still think that the information could and should be given in a nuanced and compassionate way.

Sarah!!

I blame you 100% for today’s vaguely obscene efforts.

So strange that just the other day I was having a long conversation with a couple of writer friends about hearing loss and the indignity of going for a hearing test and the reluctance to explore (expensive!!) hearing aids… I know my hearing is going and I have been resisting going to get tested. I feel your irritation from over here on my side of the mountain.

Thanks to this discussion, I have now found something even harder to draw than a hand!! I started with a photo from online (basic ear) as it’s pretty much impossible to study one’s own ears in the way one can examine a hand. Well, what weird appendages are these floppy, complex curvy, fleshy, hollow, twisty, windy things we have attached to our heads!!

My first effort (on the left) was with a bold felt-tipped pen (me foolishly thinking that the shape looked pretty straightforward… hah!!). I then switched to a handy (but equally inappropriate) scratchy pink ballpoint pen. Same ear, even worse rendition.

Good lord - what have I started? You know I won’t be able to let this rest, but I need to rest as it was a very long day with a lot of driving so I don’t have it in my to take another run at this subject tonight. Fortunately, tomorrow means another day, another drawing…

Until then -
Nikki

p.s I wonder about the causality - do old people happen to lose their hearing and start developing dementia because they are… old? Or does one cause the other? I concur that following a conversation one can’t properly hear is confusing, but does that mean my mind is going or I need to bite the bullet and get hearing aids? Would be curious to know more about the research on this…