I am Deaf. I totally get silence. I don't think hearing people really appreciate silence as much as I do. I wear hearing aids in both ears, and I function very well in my daily life with them. What's more? As a Mom, I even use my hearing aids to my advantage. Especially on those crazy days with the kids. You know, those days when they're in that crying/whining/screaming phase - silence is so precious to preserve any mother's sanity.
A couple years ago, I had all three kids in the van with me. Back then, my oldest daughter was nine, and my boy/girl twins were 4. I decided to forgo dinner one evening and opted for fast food drive thru. While waiting in line behind a couple of cars, I turned around and asked my kids what they would like. They all shouted their orders at me as I pulled up to the window. (I can't hear well enough to use the speaker.) In the meantime, the kids are screaming over each other to make sure I know what they want. The lady in the window heard all the commotion in my van and had this expression on her face. Her eyes got bigger than saucers as one of my kids accidentally hit the other one and they both started crying. I swear, her eyebrows were going to meet her hairline if she could raise them any further. I just looked at her with a smile and said "Oh don't worry. I can turn off my hearing aids when I'm done here." The lady just fell into roaring laughter, complete with tears, and she could hardly contain herself while taking my order. I handed her the money with a smile, looked back at my kids to make sure they're okay, then turned down my hearing aids as I pulled away to the next window. As the lady watched me reach up to my ears, she doubled over once again in laughter. I think I made her day....
My husband doesn't care for my advantage as he is hearing. He'll glare me down if I touch my hearing aids while we suffer the kids fighting, yelling, screaming, crying. He says "If I have to hear it, so do you!" My husband shot me a look when I tried to turn them off while we had to listen to Willie Nelson's rendition of "Rainbow Connection" from the Muppets for the thousandth time over a 5 hour drive. It was the only song that kept the twins quiet as babies riding on long trips. Even though it's a very mellow song, driving to that song on repeat for five hours *snore*.
Then there are those noisy environments like restaurants with play areas for kids. They're all squealing, laughing, screaming, yelling, and maybe a couple here and there crying about something. I sit among the parents with my hearing aids turned off (provided that I'm not with my husband as well) and I can watch my kids in my own zen of silence. Occasionally, I look over to some of the other parents and they don't look as peaceful as I feel at that moment. I see eyes squinting in reaction to louder squeals. I observe the body language of frazzled nerves as a parent looks for the kid who might be crying for the umpteenth time. I even saw one mother start crying as she covered her own ears. I felt so sorry, and a little guilty about my little advantage. But not enough to turn my hearing aids back on.
I know my advantage of optional silence sometimes didn't sit well with co-workers at some of my jobs. I've had jobs where ear-plugs were required, and all I had to do was turn my hearing aids off. I think I pissed a couple of coworkers off in the breakroom one morning as they stumbled in from a night of thunderstorms. They complained about lack of sleep due to the weather, and I'm all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, well rested from a good night's sleep. I didn't even know we had thunderstorms until I walked out of the house.
At times when I need to focus and concentration, like now for instance as I'm writing this story - I turn down my hearing aids. Not shut them off completely, but just enough that I can tune out distractions. My house is very noisy with three kids, five dogs, my elderly Mom, my husband, the televisions going, the phones ringing, the oxygen machine right next to the desk, doors slamming......and I'm able to sit here in my own world, much to the annoyance of my husband and kids.
At the end of the day, I'm so ready for silence. I will take out my hearing aids and put them in my drawer while I watch television (by reading closed captions) or read a book. It is my own form of meditation as I unwind from the daily stresses of being a mom, wife, daughter, and dog master.
I've often encountered people who suggest that I get some kind of hearing corrective surgery. I always politely tell them, that I like having the choice of silence. I wouldn't opt to constantly be exposed to noise 24x7. It is enough to drive one mad when constant noise cannot be escaped..... Silence is a wonderful thing to experience.