well hello there

Despite shelter in place, my workplace is still operating.  We're a manufacturing site and considered essential.  Many individuals are working from home (I haven't, yet - it's really easy for me to drive there, go in, shut my office door and be socially distanced).

But all of our meetings are phone meetings now.  This has, for most of my life, sucked deeply.  And on the first Monday when we had a phone meeting first thing I tried the speaker on my regular office phone and indeed.  Sucked.

But I have a neckloop, a Bluetooth device that pairs with my cell phone and transmits to the CI telecoil.  And it's clear.  Back when I was listening to audiobooks as rehab I used it quite a lot but it's been in a carrying case in the backpack that I take to work for a while now, hibernating until it was needed.

So when I realized that I was probably going to have to give it a try I got it out, charged it up and dialed into the next call and - hey.  I could hear most people.  There are always those who mumble, and there's one guy at work with a kind of odd pitch to his voice that I even struggle with in person (sorry, Brian) and occasionally someone gets a really bad connection, but that's not my hearing, that's the connection.

But I've been able to participate in phone calls this week, much much better than I have for years.  Years and years.  Twenty years.  And I've taken to calling in, starting the conversation and then pacing my office to get some steps in.  And I can still hear.  I had a really good conversation with two guys yesterday morning, and it was like Gary and Rick were in the room, I was able to focus on the issues we were discussing and not sitting in my chair with my eyes shut trying desperately to make sense of what they said. 

Because what they said was just there.  Sure, Gary and Rick speak clearly, but I've noticed an overall improvement over almost the full range of people that I have to talk to, mumblers aside.  I listened to the Governor's address when the state went into full shelter-in-place mode and heard it all; I listened to a video address from our CEO and heard everything he said.

It's such a huge improvement.  It's astonishing.  I'm just sorry it took a global pandemic to get me on the phone.