Baz Gascoyne talks about counting our blessings

Baz Gascoyne

Last month Linda & I had a great holiday up in the Dales visiting beautiful places like Richmond, Reeth, Leyburn and High Force, enjoying the countryside and great weather. Arriving home on the Saturday evening I was not prepared for what happened the next day.

Sunday morning I woke up not being able to hear properly and with a banging headache. As the days went on my hearing diminished until I could hardly hear anything. I went for a walk one day and couldn't hear any vehicles passing me along our street. When Linda came home to find me watching the TV with the volume on 84 - yes you did read right 84 - that was when I knew I needed to visit the Doctors.

This visit informed me that I had an ear infection and my ears were totally blocked. I was prescribed ear drops to use twice daily for a fortnight and then go and get my ears syringed. Literally for 12 days I had lost my hearing. When something you have - and, let's be honest, something you take for granted - is taken from you it causes some worry and uncertainty; it certainly did for me. My communication was hindered and work affected too. Even though twice-daily ear drops were applied it seemed nothing was happening as my hearing didn't improve but hopefully the blockage was being dislodged so my ears could be syringed.

After having my ears syringed the difference in my hearing was instant, so even though I couldn't see or hear the benefits of the daily drops they had been doing their job; having my ears flushed with warm water was the final part of the process.

Since then every little sound seems amazing and I want to make sure I don't take my hearing for granted. I want to be grateful each day for the wonderful sounds of birds singing, music playing, and TV at a more sensible level (No 8). The day after getting my hearing back I was at the cinema and everything seemed so clear and loud, it was a little overwhelming. Every day I'm having to turn things down due to the clarity of the sound and the sensitivity of my ears. I'm so grateful for my hearing.

"Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for." - Zig Ziglar

I don't know about you but I am guilty on a frequent basis of not appreciating what I have and focusing on my problems. I want to try and rectify that by each day recognising how fortunate I am. I hear more clearly now and hope to do what Willie Nelson said: 'When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around'.