I heard first hand from a close friend of mine a story that I would like to share with you: My friend George goes to lunch once a week with several old buddies to a very nice Tulsa area restaurant. Some of the guys, to George’s horror, began to belittle the waitress bringing her back with their bread and water slammed upon the table. He knew she was upset and went to apologize for his friends’ behavior. He explained that two in the group could not understand what this waitress stated in the ordering process which brought about an interesting psychological reaction instead of dealing and admitting their hearing loss to belittling the speaker.

This is frankly not uncommon with people who are too proud of their problems to admit hearing loss is affecting their lives. When we blame others for something that is clearly not their fault, resentment and anger with our relationships will heat up quicker than a frying pan on the stove. Admitting what we already know about our hearing abilities is the only way to stave off the frustration and avoid embarrassment. These aren’t bad guys I am talking about or my friend would not stick with them, trust me! But, their refusal to handle their hearing loss will alienate them from all around them without help.