I inherited bad hearing from both parents (both had childhood hearing problems that worsened throughout life)

As such I learned to rely heavily on lip reading as I was convinced that my hearing would degrade as theirs had.

About 2.5 years ago (after I left the church, but before anyone but DW knew it) my hearing suddenly got a lot better. I was by no means deaf, but it was bad enough that when I met new people I would tell them that I was a little deaf and to make sure that I was looking at them before they spoke so that I could supplement my hearing with lip reading.

While I wouldn't say my hearing is above average, and may be still below average, it is markedly better than before (I'd say it's 3x better than it used to be). I can hear what people say even if they talk behind me (and I can't see their lips).

So here comes the question:
--Is it worth figuring out how my hearing got better?
--Or is it better to have a non-mormon inexplicable "miracle" to contrast against my TBMs miracles (e.g. my dad's miracle of being able to remember names when he was EQP [i.e. we're not trying to fight big miracles here])?

What do you think? (or do you just happen to have the knowledge I need to explain how my hearing got better?)

I would ask your physician about it, Justrob. My mom had early hearing loss as well, and I too was fearful. But my last comprehensive test showed that I have excellent hearing.

Let's hope that things continue to go well for us both! (BTW, I think that lip-reading is a great skill to have.)

If I plug my ears and just lip read, I only get about 1/3rd of what's being said. So it was mostly just a supplement.

I would like to learn to lip read completely. (it's on a long todo list of skills I want to acquire)

Satan.

just off the cuff, I would say

You now have things you want to hear

:)

your senses have been awakened?

LOL, that's a great metaphor for mormonism. I'm kicking myself for not having thought of it.

I recall a seminary lesson about Satan curing someone's shriveled hand. The person later went to a general authority who immediately sensed Satan's presence, gave the woman a blessing, and the hand immediately shriveled again, never to be used again.

I think the intended lesson was Satasn's power is real and mimics the spirit. What I got out of it was why was Satan's deal so clearly the better one? Also, if this is so real, does it imply those who are successful or healthy made a pact with Satan? Forbidden doughnut?

I'd probably take the middle ground. Find out what fixed it if you can, in order to perhaps continue whatever action (diet, lifestyle, exercise, demonic pact) may contribute to your continued health. Then take a page from the Mormon playbook and tell everyone it's a miracle. Also make a post-it note to put in the refrigerator, "Do not eat: daddy's soul."

LOL, I always love your posts, MIB.
That is one weird ass seminary lesson. I managed to miss that one apparently. I guess we were too busy watching "The Phone Call" in seminary

Yeah, I'd like to figure out what happened. I assumed it would be temporary (after an airplane flight once I could hear louder, but it was also more muffled, then eventually some bubble in my ear popped and the extra hearing went away). But it's been good for years now (though I still have the habit of telling new people I meet that I don't hear well, and then reading their lips in case I miss something).

<"Satan curing someone's shriveled hand. The person later went to a general authority who immediately sensed Satan's presence, gave the woman a blessing, and the hand immediately shriveled again, never to be used again.">

Wow, god's a jealous prick!

Did you change your diet? For example, did you begin drinking coffee or tea? Coffee can help hearing. Another thing that can help hearing is getting away from depression and guilt in TSCC.

I must add that the above association with coffee comes from personal experience. First, I have a genetic tendency for hearing loss which we can trace back over a century and a half and an actual hearing loss due to gunfire. Second, coffee reduces diabetes likelihood significntly and diabetes is a major cause of hearing loss. Third, I have noticed that drinking coffee does improve my hearing. The coffee acts to adjust my sugar levels preventing low sugar levels otherwise resulting in depression. I also note that it has gotten my blood pressure under excellent controll without medication.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/02/2013 07:56PM by rhgc.

I did start drinking coffee then... but I also had several simultaneous life changes.

Most notably:
--Had just lost 40 pounds in 6 weeks for a work competition (so lots of exercise, and only about 200 calories a day [yes, I know I'm crazy, but I did win a flat screen TV and $500])
--Worked 3 jobs (spread over 7 days a week) and slept only about 3 - 4 hours a night
--Stopped excersizing due to lack of time
--Started drinking some coffee and copious amounts of diet coke
--Ate more sugar/candy (munching late at night while working)
--My 2nd child was born (stress levels were much higher)
...I'm sure there were more things... it was a very busy time for me.

That's part of why it was so hard to pin down any one thing that was different.
But the coffee anecdote is interesting, as it was one of my changes as well.

It is probably the lack of olive oil in your ears.

just kidding.

Why question it, just enjoy it.