I feel like I've had hearing loss for most of my life. For those of you who have never experienced hearing loss and tinnitus with it, it's hard to explain what it's like. And for those of us who have lived with it for years, I don't think we truly understand just how much we've lost. You get used to it. The constant ringing. Asking people to repeat themselves. Missing parts of conversations. Even trying to talk, sounding like a moron. Eventually, it just becomes normal. But what I didn't realize was how much of the world around me had gone silent.
This week, I received my first hearing aids through the VA. As my wife and I walked out of the building, I suddenly heard something that startled me so badly that I actually jumped. I turned to my wife and asked, "What was that?" She looked at me and said, "That was a bird tweeting." A bird. Just a little bird singing somewhere nearby. Something so ordinary that most people wouldn't even give it a second thought. And there I stood, a grown man, with tears running down my face. Because at that moment, I realized something. I hadn't even known what I was missing. I couldn't remember the last time I'd heard a bird sing. I thought I was just going to the VA to pick up some hearing aids. I didn't realize I was about to get a little piece of my world back.
But there's another part of this story I want to share, especially with my fellow veterans. This was the first time I'd allowed the VA to help me since leaving the United States Marine Corps in 1996. Thirty years. Thirty years of listening to horror stories, complaints, b***ing, and whining about the VA. And if I'm being fair, there was a good bit of stubborn pride mixed in there, too. All of it kept me from ever stepping foot inside a VA facility and asking for help. And you know what I discovered when I finally did? There are some absolutely awesome people working at the VA. People who genuinely care about the veterans they're helping. People who, from what I've seen, certainly aren't doing it for the money.
Are they overwhelmed? Absolutely. Does everything happen as quickly as we'd like? Nope. But think about it. There are only so many of them, and there are an awful lot of us. From the day I had my hearing test until the day I received my hearing aids, the process took approximately six months. Now, to some people, that might sound like a long time. And I'll admit, when you're waiting for something that could improve your quality of life, six months can seem like forever. But when you begin to understand everything involved in the process, you start to appreciate that there's a lot more going on than simply handing somebody a pair of hearing aids. And after experiencing the results firsthand, I can tell you it was worth the wait.
So here's what I'd like to say to my fellow veterans. If you've been putting off contacting the VA because of something you've heard, something someone told you, or because you're just too damn stubborn and proud to ask for help, like I was, please reconsider. Don't let somebody else's experience, opinion, or negativity make that decision for you. Go find out for yourself. I'm not saying the VA is perfect. I'm not saying everyone has had a wonderful experience. I'm sure there are legitimate complaints, and I'm not dismissing them. I'm simply saying that my experience was a good one, and I wish I'd given them a chance thirty years ago.
And to those who seem to do nothing but b***h and complain about everything, I've got one suggestion. How about, just once in a while, looking for something positive? Take a moment to appreciate what you have and the people who are trying to help you. Because sometimes the smallest things in life turn out to be the biggest blessings. For me, it was a bird. A little bird that probably had no idea it had just made a grown man cry. And my God, am I thankful.
Semper Fi. And thank each of you who work at the VA. I appreciate you!
