PRX default Piece image

Necessary Losses

From: Judah Bruce Leblang
Length: 05:36

A short first person essay about losing my hearing Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Playing: Necessary Losses
From: Judah Bruce Leblang

Default-piece-image-0 "Necessary Losses" is a first person commentary (with some humor built in) about losing most of the hearing in my left ear, suddenly, without warning. On a broader level, this essay is a reflection on the inevitability of aging, of growing into middle age, of the losses and physical changes that go along with life's passages--transitions many Baby Boomers are facing as they ease into the later phases of their lives.

More from Judah Bruce Leblang

The Stress Test: Or another piece of my heart now, baby (04:58)
From: Judah Bruce Leblang

A reflective piece about a middle aged man's visit to the cardiologist for his annual stress test.

My Training Bra (05:01)
From: Judah Bruce Leblang

A short humorous piece about fighting middle age in Provincetown, MA during Carnival week.

Becoming Interesting (05:21)
From: Judah Bruce Leblang

A first person essay about dealing with illness and middle-age

Remembering My Father (03:16)
From: Judah Bruce Leblang

A son's rememberance of and tribute to his dad

For a Deaf Uncle (01:46)
From: Judah Bruce Leblang

A tribute to my uncle and reflections on losing my own hearing

"Focus" (01:16)
From: Judah Bruce Leblang

A funny, wistful piece about discipline my lack of same

The Voices in My Head (05:22)
From: Judah Bruce Leblang

A humorous rant

Everything is Relative (02:46)
From: Judah Bruce Leblang

A humorous personal essay about growing older

Remembering Doris (04:29)
From: Judah Bruce Leblang

A remembrance of a special woman, my godmother

Going in the Wrong Direction (03:10)
From: Judah Bruce Leblang

A commentary about Alito, Corretta Scott King and Civil Rights

Piece Description

"Necessary Losses" is a first person commentary (with some humor built in) about losing most of the hearing in my left ear, suddenly, without warning. On a broader level, this essay is a reflection on the inevitability of aging, of growing into middle age, of the losses and physical changes that go along with life's passages--transitions many Baby Boomers are facing as they ease into the later phases of their lives.

Broadcast History

Broadcast on "The Health Show" September 2007, produced by WAMC, Albany, New York.

Transcript

Necessary Losses

Judah Leblang/2007
Word count: 850

In March of 2006, at the end of a mild but dreary winter, I lost most of the hearing in my left ear. ?Lost? is a strange word ? not quite what I?m looking for ? as if I?d just misplaced my ability to hear, like my ski gloves or blue cashmere coat.

I didn?t think much about it at the time. It was another gray late-winter morning, and I rolled out of bed, groggily, and answered the phone. I had to shift the receiver to my right ear to hear the caller; my left felt plugged up, as if I?d been in a plane, as if my ear wouldn?t or couldn?t pop. Days went by, and then weeks. I waited for things to return to normal. When they didn?t, I finally emailed my doctor. He suggested ear-drops and nose spray, assuming that my sinuses were merely congested.

In the mean time, I had more pressing issues. I went to the dermatologist to check a...
Read the full transcript