I realize this play is developing rather slowly, but come on…you folks up in the balcony, please settle down….put the snacks away and a little less shuffling of the feet please. I can hear it clear down here !

That’s right …I am hearing things with this Cochlear Implant that I have not heard for many years and the interesting thing is, I had almost forgotten about a lot of the things I can now hear.

To be clear, one week into this experience, the most notable fact is how I am hearing environmental noises. Voices and conversations are not nearly as distinct or “loud” as my surroundings. I am told that will come. I have to train my brain as to what all these sounds are and what to focus on. It will be six months to a year for me to achieve most of the benefit I am going to get.

Getting used to the science fiction of this bionic implant is really crazy. I have this hardware and a magnet in my head. I have this microphone and sound processor that has it own magnet. It just “sticks” to my head. I also have this little tether, kind of like “idiot mittens” and clipped to my shirt because I forget sometimes and knock the magnet off.

I sit here with my welcome but limited ability to interact with my world (hearing aid) and then I slap this magnet to the side of my head and instantly I hear a new environment.

This new world has : Mouse clicks; birds chirping outside; water running in the next room; sounds of a refrigerator motor and furnace; rustling paper; ice cubes rattling ; coffee maker …a thousand things like that.

It’s the small sounds that are most remarkable….because until now, I could not hear them…and they are clear and distinct.

I cannot overemphasize significance of what I just said. Suddenly..I mean suddenly…my environment, ..my world.. is richer and more complex.

To be sure, it’s disquieting having so many more things to sort out; to pay attention to…to try to ignore. Been an interesting week.

Scene 3 next week from Kansas City.