I was watching the movie the “Polar Express” with my two sons the other evening. It is a popular animated movie with Tom Hanks playing most of the characters. The main character is a little boy who is doubting his belief in Santa Claus. He takes a magical train ride to the North Pole and learns many lessons along the way. In the movie, the true test of your belief in Santa Claus is hearing Santa’s Jingle Bells. As an Audiologist, I find it interesting that the entire story revolved around whether or not you can hear Bells.
In the middle of the story, the main character becomes very sad when a crowd of children and elves cheered every time they heard Santa’s jingle bells. The little boy could not hear the jingle bells because he still did not believe in Santa. This scene makes me wonder how many people around us, in our own lives, are saddened when the see others become joyful with a sound that they, themselves, cannot hear.
By the end of the story, the little boy does believe in Santa Claus and can now hear the jingle bells. It brings him so much joy to hear those bells, just like the other children!
Many of my patients have revealed that it upsets them when they cannot understand what a child said. They are frustrated because they couldn’t follow a story in a large group of people, then simply laughed when everyone else laughed, so no one knew they could not understand what they heard. These same patients report how happy they were, after seeing those same people, when they could hear and understand with their new hearing aids. Most people with hearing loss are treated with hearing aids.
Hearing stories, bells, and being a part of the holiday season is very important to all of us. Encourage someone who may have a hearing loss, and is isolated from the sounds of the season, to do something about their hearing. A good start is a visit with an Audiologist. It truly is the little things in life that make us happy.
If you have any questions or comments, please free to call our office at Advanced Audiology Consultants in Oak Brook, IL 630-930-1025. You can directly email me at dheiman@helpingyourhearing.com .
Hears to you hearing all of the bells of this coming Holiday Season!
Warmly,
Dr. Dawn
