For the past two years, I have been struggling with hearing loss. I knew I had some hearing loss but I was too vain to admit it. I developed the habit of just smiling and nodding when I was unable to hear what someone said. Generally, I was too embarrassed to ask someone to repeat themselves.

Finally, when I had to repeatedly ask a judge to repeat herself, I knew it was time to act. So, I took a hearing test, and I am in the process of getting hearing aids.

Since I found out I needed hearing aids, I have proactively been telling people when I cannot hear them. And the process of doing so has been so liberating to me. Most people happily repeat themselves. Numerous people take the opportunity to show me their hearing aides. I had no idea that most of these people even had hearing aides.

Through this process I have learned that I should not be hesitant to ask people for what I need. If you don’t tell them, how would they know?