WHAT'S FOR SUPPER?
---On Deafness

Deafness is usually genetic in origin, and in children, almost 50 percent of cases is caused genetically. In adults and most elderly people, loss of hearing is termed as age-related hearing loss or AHL. Causes are mostly non-genetic and may include diseases, noise pollution at home and the workplace, accidents, and intake of certain medications.

This morning, as I opened my email, BongK sent this amusing item on deafness that made me have a good laugh.

An elderly gentleman of 85 feared his wife was getting hard of hearing. So, one day, he called her doctor to make an appointment to have her hearing checked. The Doctor made an appointment for a hearing test in two weeks, and meanwhile there's a simple informal test the husband could do to give the doctor some idea of the state of her problem.

"Here's what you do," said the Doctor, "start out about 40 feet away from her, and in a normal conversational speaking tone see if she hears you. If not, go to 30 feet, then 20 feet, and so on until you get a response."

That evening, the wife is in the kitchen cooking dinner, and he's in the living room.

He says to himself, "I'm about 40 feet away, let's see what happens." Then in a normal tone he asks, "Honey, what's for supper?"

No response.

So the husband moved to the other end of the room, about 30 feet from his wife and repeats,"Honey, what's for supper?"

Still no response.

Next he moves into the dining room where he is about 20 feet from his wife and asks, "Honey, what's for supper?"

Again he gets no response.

So he walks up to the kitchen door, only 10 feet away. "Honey, what's for supper?"

Again there is no response.

So he walks right up behind her. "Honey, what's for supper?"

This time he gets a response:

"Earl, for the fifth time, CHICKEN!"