A sEARious article

I know. That's a horrible title, but bear with me.

I have to share this. As some people who might read this know, I'm deaf in my left ear. I was born this way and had a few constructive surgeries when I was younger to create the look of an ear on my left side because I was born without a left ear on the outside too. I've grown used to it, but have looked into finishing the surgery procedure. It doesn't look bad and people say they don't notice it right away, but it doesn't look exactly like an ear. I'm missing the upper part of the ear and the ear lobe is a little thicker than the right on the bottom, so it looks a bit asymmetrical to me sometimes. I've also looked into getting a BAHA implant. I've even had little fantasies about what's it's like to stand in a doctor's office and have him turn some magical device on that enabled me to hear out of my left side. Yes, I said side and not ear because that's how the BAHA works.

Being deaf in one ear isn't a hindrance to my everyday life, but there are little quirks I have to deal with on a regular basis. As a performer, I can sometimes find myself standing on specific areas of the stage when a scene starts so I can hear everything going on. So far, I don't know of many times it has affected a scene, negatively or positively (it is improv, so I'd hope it could be spun the right way for a laugh, a good character moment, or even some strong foreshadowing). It's also a running joke with me that I say, "One day, I want to know what stereo really sounds like."

It looks like I may finally have that happen thanks to the 1-Bud.

From the website's description:

"Our newest Earbud is a black colored single Earbud that will really benefit those who must listen to audio in one ear only. Those who are hearing impaired and others who must hear and communicate with those that surround them will all benefit from this dramatic technological breakthrough in audio technology.

. . .

This new Earbud can also be plugged into Stereo devices such as Desktop Computers, Laptop Computers, iPods, MP-3 Players, Stereo Televisions, Treadmill Entertainment Systems, Automobile Entertainment Systems, etc., and will sum the Left and Right Channel so that you can hear both channels in a single Earphone."

I may get a little teary-eyed at the thought of the 1-Bud after getting so frustrated the other day when I failed to find mono headphones at any local stores. I also read about the tinniness that mono headphones can have and that some may even damage machines. The 1-Bud seems like the perfect solution. Just ordered two of them for a total of $23.90, including shipping cost. They should arrive in a few days.

Ok, this really better be worth it, because I feel ridiculous about how much I'm affected by something like this.