Thanks

... to my new friends for commenting on my writings! I hope you will continue to read what I think about, and are encouraged by it. I had quit posting for awhile but plan to do more of it. Thanks again!

Be PROUD of Yourself!

A lot of people, both young and old,
Sometimes have problems that need some help -
Glasses to see and aids to hear,
A sloping ramp instead of steps.

But that's not the person. That's only a trait,
Like tall or short or heavy or thin -
Just a description to distinguish us.
It has nothing to do with what's within.

Your body style oft' determines your clothes.
You can show your best ... you can emphasize,
So why not brighten your hearing aids,
Or wear fancy glasses frames for your eyes?

Be proud of yourself! We are each unique!
Don't try to hide! Don't be ashamed!
Wear bright colors, like flowers in spring!
Be proud of yourself, and jump into Life's game!

- by Netagene. I scribbled a few lines on January 11, 2012, and didn't write any more until I finished it a little while ago! For those of you who are unaware, here's a bit of explanation. A lot of people wear fancy, show-off eye glasses, but sometimes those same people - as well as a LOT of others, seem to be ashamed of having to wear hearing aids! I've been wearing glasses since I was about 15, became high partial legally blind when I was 59, and learned I had a significant hearing loss when I was 61, at which time I got hearing aids.

WHOSE SIDE I'M ON

I read my Bible when I'm alone -
Concordance, dictionary in quiet at home -
Trying to show whose side I'm on.

I attend worship on the Lord's Day,
Where I study and sing and pray.

Sometimes it's hard just to get there.
My hope is that God will hear my prayer.

I talk about Jesus to family and friends -
What will await us when this life ends.

I discuss salvation. There's pow'r in Christ's blood.
We all have sinned. Only One is good.

Sometimes I merely "warm the pew" -
Taking up space - that's what I do.

My mind sometimes wanders, can't concentrate
On the sermon or lesson, or I can't stay awake.

I don't see well. I hear even less,
But still I attend. I'm contented. I'm blessed.

A house divided simply will not stand.
God's side or Satan's ... I'll hold to God's hand.

I keep on attending, stumbling along ...
Because I want God to know, it's HIS side I'm on.

- by Netagene, most of this written in a few minutes during Bible class this morning (because about all I could hear was the teacher, because he uses a mic) -

BECOMING

What will I become, when I'm old and gray?
Will I vegetate, or do things every day?

Will I sit and doze, or truly be alive?
Doing, teaching others! Emotionally, will I thrive?

I still have a brain, to use and be a sage -
Mentor those who're young - what I've learned with age!

My young plans probably changed. I took a different path.
Hopefully, it's better! ... a fulfilled aftermath!

My life is lived by faith. It's what I have become -
Acting on God's Laws, looking for a Heavenly home!

So when I've reached that river, at my life's setting sun,
May I have lived so that - I'll hear God say, "Well done!"

- by Netagene, in a few minutes Wednesday night, February 8, 2012. Even with my hearing aids and new batteries, and sitting in the middle and the teacher more or less using the mic, I could hear almost nothing that was said! I had a couple of lines somewhat in my head, from some recent article in the news paper. It didn't take me but about 15 minutes to write. About the only things I changed when I got home was to change the poem from 3rd person to 1st person. -

Mother's Passing

Mother, age 94, passed from this life into the next during her sleep sometime in the early morning hours of Thursday, August 11. On July 20, she was stil doing some cooking, washing dishes, going up and down the stairs doing the laundry, working search word puzzles - and reading the Bible. She was bedfast from the time she fell on July 22, in the hospital for 5 days, then at home. She didn't have a heart attack or a stroke. Her body had simply worn out. Read Proverbs 90:10. While it is hard of course, it makes so much difference to know that she was a faithful Christian.

She had all the arrangements paid for, and had chosen the clothes to be buried in (light blue nylon nightgown and matching negligee), and wanted only a pink carnation corsage. She had chosen the songs and the friend (Dallas Dobbins) to lead the a capella congregational singing, and the friend (preacher Robert Tuten) to do the main part of the funeral.

The songs were "Beautiful Isle of Somewhere", "Above the Bright Blue", and "No Tears in Heaven". While only about 50 or so made it to the funeral, it seemed that everyone was in wonderful singing voice! or maybe we also heard the angels joining in.

Preacher friend Lloyd Barker read the obituary, made a few remarks, and read 2 poems. My sister especially liked one I wrote about 2 weeks before Mother passed away. I had given him several that I had written about Mother. He also read another I had written which co-incidentally I had printed in the church bulletin the morning Daddy passed away (not knowing that it would be the day of his passing of course).

And preacher friend Terry Partain did the graveside service.

I will post more, including the poems separately, later today or in a few days.

Hearing Loss Associaton of America puzzle

Search Word Puzzle for

Hearing Loss Association of America, 2011

Words that are underlined in the story all are in the grid. They

go horizontally, vertically, diagonally, backward, and forward. All but

three of the left-over letters spell out the name of our nation’s capital.

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In this NEW AGE, the ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY is amazing, and more so for people who do not HEAR well or are LATE DEAFENED. When ROCKY STONE started SHHH (now HLA of America), doubtless he never dreamed of a COCHLEAR IMPLANT or stenographers who do REAL TIME typing that is projected on a screen as someone speaks! We no longer have a bulky box that HANGS around our neck. Old hearing AIDS were ANALOG and mostly just amplified everything, thus were only more NOISE to our EARS. A DIGITAL DEVICE can be programmed for specific sounds by a knowledge-able AUDIOLOGIST! The AUDIO on a TV can be kept low because that medium, and others, now use CLOSED CAPTIONING. A LOOP or an FM system can be installed almost anywhere. It is good that people still learn and use American Sign LANGUAGE and FINGER SPELLING. TEXT messaging and EMAIL have made COMMUNICATION so much easier for us, but those things can fail. Many people use SPEECH READING without realizing it. TINNITUS and NERVE DAMAGE are still problems. We may not sing well, but watch us DANCE! There are now so many ways to ACCOMMODATE people whose ears do not work well. Life is GOOD! We truly live in the BEST of TIMES! How SWEET it is!

- by Netagene, June 3. 2011 -

MORE Good News!

Romans 12 is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. It's mostly about how to get along with others. Verse 15 says: "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep". I hope you will rejoice with me!

On March 29, I got an email stating that I was one of the people to get a "scholarship" to attend the national convention of the Hearing Loss Association of America! I've had hearing aids since Decem- ber, 2005, for a mild-to-moderate hearing loss. I've about quit wearing them because they no longer help much. (I went for a new audiology test recently and learned that my hearing has progressed to moderate-to-moderately severe.)

Having never attended a national convention of the HLAA, I was able to apply for a "scholarship" by writing less-than-one-page as to why I'd like to attend. The "scholarship" pays for my registration, plus I got a nice check from one of the chapters which will help with some hotel and transportation costs. I had already decided to go anyway, and had made Amtrak reservations on February 19! And I was blessed in another way - shortly after deciding to attend, I went to the HLAA site, found the forums, and found a lady my age to room with! Barbara lives in NYC and is retired from FAO Schwartz. We've emailed a lot, and are having a great time getting to know each other that way.

That's the first good news. The other good news is about new HAs.

Even though the local HLAA chapter is inactive, I've been in touch with some of the members here. One gentleman knows a lot of people in the HL community, including some with the UAB Medical School. He told me that there was a foundation set up by the will of a woman here, with the funds to help people buy HAs. He made a call, then a few days later, I got a call, and so on. To shorten this, with my low amount of Social Security, I qualify for new HAs, gratis!

One step remains ... with this the end of the school semester, including the UAB Hearing & Speech Clinic, the earliest opening they have is one of the days I'll be at the convention, so that's out. My appointment is now the 2nd day after I get back!

And by the way, for some time now, HAs are not merely analog sound amplifiers; they are digital computerized, personalized hearing technology! ... and the cost is about $2,000+ per aid!

I am BLESSED!