It appears to be loud, it feels so sweet and tastes so warm, it smells kind of bumpy and yet it
sounds so numb. This feeling remained the same until late November of my eighth grade year.
My mama made an appointment for me to see a Otolaryngologist, a Otolaryngologist was a
doctor who specialized in ears, nose and throat. I remember waking up early that morning feeling
like my life was about to change, but I felt weird inside. I felt as if I had not really missed
anything without hearing aids, so what could I gain with them?

That entire morning I thought about my ears, and how they would change. It didn’t take us long
to get to the hospital, Children’s Hospital that is. The name of the hospital was self-explanatory,
there were children everywhere. Everything was miniature for us miniature kids. I walked
closely, clinging to my mama’s arm, quiet. My mama did the talking at the front desk, got the
directions, and we were on our way upstairs. My mama and I made conversation as we went up
to the Otolaryngologist Area. We waited in the waiting room with everyone else. My name was
called first. A slim, brunette woman was standing in the doorway with a clip board, she nodded
to us and we followed her path. She lead us to a tiny sound proof room, it was dark with dim
lights. There were big machines lined up against one wall and on the other was a thick window
showing the view of another room similar to ours. I looked at my feet in shyness, I saw my
reflection in the dark brown hard wood floors. Miss. Amanda and my mother had been talking
but I hadn’t noticed. Miss. Amanda questioned me about my last visit. The last time they filled
my ears with a putty material to confirm my ear shape, this time I was there to get my two new
hearing aids and to learn how to work them.

Miss. Amanda taught me how to clean them, how to change the batteries, and all the Do’s and
Don’ts when I’m wearing them. Finally, the big moment arrived, a tall, square man walked in
with a small, white box. Miss. Amanda let me open it, inside was a smaller carrying case, it was
labeled with my name. When I slid the case open, my doctor told me to insert the batteries the
way that she had taught me. And put them in my ears as she taught me. As I did so everyone was
silent. A short jingle played in my ears as a sign of power. Miss. Amanda spoke, “How do you
feel?” My eyes grew big clear and projected.” Oh my God! Miss. Amanda, I can hear you!” I
was happy; I smiled so hard, I began tapping things, snapping my fingers, things I could never
hear. My cheeks were hot, my nose began to burn and my eyes were as full as a pond. I cried so
hard, I couldn’t believe that for almost ten years of my life, I couldn’t hear these things. I hugged
Miss. Amanda so tightly, then my mother and I cried some more.

As we left the building, I watched my feet because I was listening to the beat of my footsteps.
When we got in the car, my mother started it up. I jumped at the roar of the engine. She busted
out laughing, I had heard that morning but it wasn’t as loud. Then the radio came on, blasting! I
quickly turned it down; it was still at the same volume I set it to when we first got in the car. I
rolled my window down as we pulled off, I sat quietly the whole way home. I listened to the
wind blowing in my ears along with everything else. A day I will always remember with such
clarity.