To a lot of us, the sounds of everyday life can be underestimated, or can even be annoying— I’m looking at you seagulls that spend 20 minutes every morning yelling from my garden wall.
However, when one person got new hearing aids, their emotional journey discovering new sounds will make you appreciate the noises that people who can hear take for granted.
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Tumblr user “saltysurvivors” took to the internet to share their amazing journey.
Despite having a portion of the hearing aids paid for with insurance, they wanted to find a way to raise more money to help fund getting them that did not involve simply asking for donations.
Saltysurvivors, who goes by Jo Altmaier, began taking commissions for artwork in order to help pay for the hearing aids.
Jo Altmaier’s artwork focuses around positive themes, such as encouraging body and mental positivity.
Eventually, their hearing aids arrived, and what ensued is arguably the most wonderfully wholesome thing I’ve ever seen on Tumblr.
They began sharing things that they had never been able to hear before.
As annoying as I may find the seagulls which bother me every morning, reading through this thread really makes me appreciate their weird shouts.
They also shared this photo, writing, “My friend has this is his back yard and to say I cried is an understatement.”
The fact that we are in a time where medical science can help people to experience such simple things as sound which they had previously been unable to experience is a fantastic thing.
“Their hooves make sounds in the grass but they are completely silent. Beautiful creatures. Beautiful sound.”
Perhaps the most personally emotional sound that they wrote about being able to hear was, “My best friends singing voice”.
Now, my best mate may not have the best singing voice, but I don’t want to imagine a world where I can’t hear them belting out “Love Machine” by Girls Aloud.
“Pine needles and pine cones make crunchy sounds!!! Oh my! Very nice”
The blogger also shared a desire to use their platform in order to help share a message to those who aren’t hard of hearing.
The message was one of patience, writing, “Dear hearing people, please be patient with us. I know it’s frustrating having to repeat what you said but imagine how much more frustrating it is for that deaf/hoh person working 2x as hard and straining their ears for something you can do with ease.”
People even began asking questions, such as what the first song was that they listened to.
Considering that this is my favorite song of all time, I heartily endorse this as a choice for first listen!
Since getting hearing aids, their love of music has “skyrocketed”.
They shared that they have played music for years despite being hard of hearing, and explained that since getting the hearing aids, their love of music has only increased:
“Getting my hearing aids skyrocketed my love for music and now that I can hear better, I’m trying to learn every instrument I can. It’s kinda sad, I don’t know how much of my hearing I will lose in my lifetime. I don’t know how fast it will go. So for now, I’m making the most of of the limited hearing I have.”
The posts have since gone viral across the internet, with people reveling in the wholesomeness.
People also began sharing their own experiences with getting hearing aids:
“Yeah, water is amazing post hearing aids. I never knew soda and ice cubes could actually sound like they do in commercials.”
“I had hearing aids since 4 years old. My mum told me that I would stop playing with my toys just to listen to the rain outside. True story.”
One person even shared the post to show why they had chosen to become an audiologist.
Anyone that chooses to work in a field which strives towards making the world a better place for others, deserves all the kudos that they are owed.
According to the World Health Organization, over 400 million people worldwide experience a form of hearing loss.
The World Health Organization’s official website also estimates that, “by 2050 over 900 million people – or one in every ten people – will have disabling hearing loss.”
The W.H.O. also claims that 50% of young people today are at risk of hearing loss due to, “prolonged and excessive exposure to loud sounds, including music they listen to through personal audio devices.”
Hopefully, this wonderful story will help us all to appreciate the things we take for granted!
I doubt that Jo Altmaier will ever lose their appreciation of the small nuances in our world that make it so wonderful, such as the sound of water trickling along a river, or the sound of a bird singing in the distance. A lot of people could learn a lot from this post, maybe to take out your headphones once in a while and enjoy the sounds around you… unless you’re listening to Life On Mars, in which case, keep them headphones in and belt it out as loud as you can!
h/t: Tumblr
