If you’re like most people with hearing problems, then you’re sick and tired of asking people to repeat themselves. In fact, that was me!

Imagine waking up every day, struggling to hear what almost anyone around you was saying.

You're never able to hear whispered secrets in your ear when you are on the playground in elementary school with your girlfriends. Imagine hearing at the prime teenager age that you needed a hearing aid. Well, that was me. I was in gym class in elementary school and we had been taken out to the nurse’s office for eye and ear tests. I never thought on this day I would be told that I needed to see an ENT doctor.

I did not notice my hearing being a problem but after being told I had massive hearing loss in my left ear, I began to piece things together. I only would be able to talk on the phone on the right side but I always just thought this was my dominant side. I always played my music on full blast into my headphones without a problem. Eventually, I went to the doctor’s office to find out I needed a surgery for them to even see inside my ear canal properly.

Traveling back and forth to New York City to different doctor’s offices was definitely a very hard time for me. I was overwhelmed and only in middle school at the time. The minor surgery did not open my canals too much, so they told me that I had two options. One would be a hearing aid and the second option would be a major, dangerous surgery. The thought of a hearing aid made me queasy inside, but the surgery option was out as well.

Every time I would go to the doctor’s from then on, I would just simply say “no” at any suggestions to get the hearing aid. Three years of high school went by in the blink of an eye, then it started to hit me. I started to notice that I was becoming too quiet because I simply could not hear what people were saying. I could not properly converse in a conversation. I could not play telephone and have someone whisper in my left ear. At times, I would struggle to hear my alarm clock for school in the morning.

This imperfection that I never thought affected me was quickly taking over my life.

Before freshman year of college, I knew I had to make a change. I figured I would agree to a hearing aid and “try it out.” From the first day with it, I never knew that this little piece of technology would be the most amazing change I have made in my life. I was always worried that people would see my hearing aid, but that is only if my hair is up and you are behind me. I was always worried that people would judge me but many people do not even mention it. I was always worried about all the things society puts in our heads.

Society is set up to make people feel like they have to follow life by the same rules. However, that is completely wrong. Society would judge someone for having a little electronic device on their ear but not judge someone for doing the walk of shame after a crazy college night? Wrong!

Society will judge everyone.

So, my question to you is, why would I care if society judges me, if they do it to everyone?

I never thought this change would make me see life differently. Now that I can hear properly, I feel like I have a voice again. I can properly converse in conversations and understand what others are saying without having to read their lips to confirm.

I'm here to say to anyone with a hearing problem, or in fact, any issue they were born with, to conquer it in any way they can. I am proud to say that this device has now become a part of me.

Be proud of your imperfections.