And Modest But Proud: Hearing is a terrible thing to lose. So, good on you! My Aunt was almost completely deaf the last few months of her life (she died when she was 97) and it was heartbreaking not only for her, but for my Mother. They were the two remaining siblings from 8, and were living in the same retirement complex. What initially was a beautiful situation, where my Mother could visit her sister every day became an enormous frustration. My Aunt could no longer hear my Mother, and I'm not sure who was most frustrated. Even though they lived in the same complex, they weren't able to communicate. For many years, they'd spoken to each other over the phone every day. What a loss it was. My Aunt would have required surgery to regain her hearing, and she was just killing time until her kidneys finally gave out on her and she was gone.

I've noticed as I get older that people speak more softly. It's an irritation and a bother. Why don't people speak up like they did when I was younger?

Jerry