One of my favorite things to do in my spare time is to play the piano.  It has been decades since the first time that I played chop sticks on a piano, and I have never looked back.  In fact, sitting at a piano is one of my favorite uses of my time.

If you were to listen to me play, you would be mesmerized by my ability.  Playing has always come naturally to me, and it shows.  But if you were a music teacher, you might cringe a little: I play by ear.

Even though I can read notes, I don’t care to.  I have had the ability to listen to any tune and play it within a few minutes of hearing it.  It has allowed me the freedom to play any musical piece that I desire without having to learn it first.

But the catch is that my ability to play music hinges on my ability to hear.  For most people that wouldn’t be a problem, but just five short years ago, my hearing started to go.

Unfortunately, hearing loss was one of the side-effects of the medication that I was taking at the time, and as my hearing disappeared, so did my ability to play music.  This not only lead me to depression, but it put me in a situation that I was going to lose the ability to do what I truly love – play music.

Thankfully my doctor was able to find me a hearing aid that allowed me to regain most of my hearing and has allowed me to continue playing the piano.  Had something like this not been available, I just don’t know what I would have done.

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