by: Connie Briscoe
Oddly enough, I've come to think that losing my hearing was one of the best things to ever happened to me, as it led to the publication of my first novel.
I believe that no matter how tough things get, you can make them better. I have my parents to thank for that. They never allowed me to think that I couldn't accomplish something because of my hearing loss. One of my mother's favorite sayings when I expressed doubt that I could do something was, "Yes, you can."
I was born with a mild hearing loss but began to lose more of my hearing when I was a senior in college. One day while sitting in my college dormitory room reading, I noticed my roommate get up from her bed, go to the princess telephone in our room, pick it up and start talking.
None of that would have seemed strange, except for one thing: I never heard the telephone ring! I wondered why I couldn't hear a phone that I could hear just the day before. But I was too baffled--and embarrassed--to say anything to my roommate or anyone else.
Late-deafened people can always remember the moment when they first stopped being able to hear the important things in life like telephones and doorbells ringing, people talking in the next room, or the television. It's sort of like remembering where you were when you learned that President Kennedy had been shot or when you learned about the terror attack at the World Trade Center.
Unbeknown to me at the time, that was only the beginning of my downward spiral, as my hearing grew progressively worse But I was young and still vain enough not to want to buy a hearing aid. I struggled through college by sitting up front in the classroom, straining to read lips and asking people to speak up, sometimes again and again.
By the time I entered graduate school, I could no longer put off getting a hearing aid. By that time, even sitting in front of the classroom wasn't helping much. I was still vain enough to wait a few months while I let my hair grow out a bit before taking the plunge but I eventually bought my first hearing aid. It was a big, clunky thing, but I knew that would have to be able to hear if I ever wanted to graduate. Soon, my hair length didn't matter much, as the hearing aids got smaller and smaller. They also got better and better at picking up sound. The early aids did little more than make sounds louder evenly across the board. That doesn't work for those of us with nerve deafness, as we may have more hearing loss in the higher frequencies than in the lower frequencies. The newer digital and programmable hearing aids go a long way toward improving on that. They can be set to match different types of hearing loss, so you can, say, increase a particular higher frequency more than the lower ones.
Once I got my hearing aid and was able to hear again, I could focus on other things that were important to me--like my education, my career and writing that first novel!
I had long dreamed of writing a novel, but like others kept putting it off. As I began to lose more and more of my hearing, I thought that writing a novel would be the perfect hobby for me, as anyone can write regardless of whether they can hear. I was also determined to prove that my deafness would not hold me back.
My first novel was published in 1994 and my fifth in the summer of 2005. Writing turned out to be much more than a hobby, and I've been writing full-time for more than 10 years. I'm now hard at work on my first nonfiction work, a photo-essay book to be published by Bulfinch, a division of Time Warner Books, in 2007.
I honestly believe that I would never have sat down at the computer and banged out that first novel if I hadn't lost so much of my hearing. Instead, I'd probably still be an editor somewhere and still dreaming about someday becoming a novelist. That's why I sometimes think that losing my hearing was one of the best things that ever happened to me.
About The Author
Connie Briscoe is a New York Times best-selling author with five novels published. She is currently at work on a photo-essay book to be titled Jewels. She has coped with a hearing loss her entire life. For more information about hearing loss and hearing aids visit her site at www.hearingaidinformer.com.
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Types of Batteries
Types of Batteries
by: Jeff Anderson
Are you confused by the terms thrown around on batteries.such as Magnesium or Zinc-Carbon? We will walk you through a brief definition of each type of Alkalinee Batteries. Types of alkaline non-rechargeable batteries include:
Zinc-Carbon. Zinc-carbon cells, also known as "Leclanch?" cells, were the first widely used household batteries. Rated at 1.5 volts per cell, they are much lower in cost compared to alkalines, but also have a lower energy density. Available in AAA, AA, C, D and 9-volt sizes, common applications are toys, remote controls, flashlights and other household items. Zinc-carbon cells, also known as "Leclanch?" cells, were the first widely used household batteries. Rated at 1.5 volts per cell, they are much lower in cost compared to alkalines, but also have a lower energy density.
Zinc-Chloride: Heavy-duty zinc chloride batteries (ZnCl2) are the result of technological advances in zinc...
Types of Batteries
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The Chapter 13 Meeting of Creditors - What to Expect
The Chapter 13 Meeting of Creditors - What to Expect
by: Leon H. Rountree III
Have you recently filed Chapter 13 Bankruptcy? Do you have an upcoming Meeting of Creditors hearing? Many Chapter 13 debtors get a little nervous about the meeting since they are not exactly sure what to expect. So, I decided to take some notes on exactly what happens during the meeting for the benefit of those who have an upcoming meeting. Of course, I knew what was going to happen since I've done these hearings before for my clients, but I wanted to note the exact words this hearing officer (trustee) was using and the exact questions she was asking. Sometimes, clients have visions that creditors are going to sit there and hammer them all day with questions or something. This is just not the case, in my experience. Let's start with some basics.
What is the Meeting of Creditors?
The Meeting of Creditors is a hearing that is held 20 to 40 days after the bankruptcy...
The Chapter 13 Meeting of Creditors - What to Expect
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Critical Illness Insurance. Big Changes On The Horizon
Critical Illness Insurance. Big Changes On The Horizon
by: Michael Challiner
In recent years sales of critical illness insurance have flagged. The primary cause is the huge 70% increase in premiums experienced during recent years. For many, critical illness insurance has simply priced itself out of the market.
It's not that critical illness insurance is a bad idea. After all it pays out a lump sum if the policyholder is diagnosed with one of the many critical illnesses listed on the policy and the policyholder survives at least 28 days from diagnosis. (Note: some policies have a 14 day survival period.) Most policies have a huge list of insured illnesses although about 60% of claims are for cancer ? not surprising, as 1 in every 3 people will develop cancer sometime in their lifetime. In fact when you look at the concept of Critical illness insurance you can easily make a case that everyone living on earned income should have a policy. It's...
Critical Illness Insurance. Big Changes On The Horizon
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Two Minutes To Stress Reduction And Relaxation
Two Minutes To Stress Reduction And Relaxation
by: Mark Altman
This exercise is designed to cleanse your body of stress and tension. It's a variation of deep breathing exercises often associated with Yoga and Meditation. If you haven't looked into deep breathing exercises, you may want to research them, as I'm not going to go describe the technical details in this article.
The exercise:
Begin by standing in a sturdy comfortable stance, feet shoulder width apart. Breathe in deeply through your nose, and exhale through your mouth. While exhaling, try to feel the breath leaving through the soles of your feet.
For the first few exhalations, feel the toxens in your body escape through the soles of your feet. Feel cleansed oxygen and energy enter your body when you inhale.
For the next few exhalations, feel the tension and stress melt away.
As you inhale, absorb peacefullness and joy.
As you exhale, let regrets and negative...
Two Minutes To Stress Reduction And Relaxation
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Coping With Hearing Loss: A Writer's Story
ira Coping With Hearing Loss: A Writer's Story
puppy training Coping With Hearing Loss: A Writer's Story Hearing aids