I don’t know about you, but I have had some epic fails since I started on my Acoustic Neuroma journey. I have found a sense of humor to be invaluable. Remembering to not take myself so seriously really helps me accept who I am. Laughter truly is great medicine. Keeping in mind that perfectionism is not required is an important life lesson for me. Also, remembering that everyone hears things wrong and makes mistakes can be very freeing.

I will share some of my favorite ridiculous moments. Please laugh along with me.

I once was on a speaker phone call at work with a supplier, and I lost my balance and fell off my office chair in the midst of placing an order.

I have turned quickly, not hearing the person walking in my deaf shadow, and walked straight into them.

I once fell off a stationary bike. I didn’t even know that was possible. This was before my diagnosis and, in retrospect, really feels like an obvious red flag.

One time, I could hear my cat meowing, and I could not figure out where he was. It turned out, he had snuck into my closet when the door was open and then became frustrated by his confinement once I closed the closet. It took me several minutes of increasingly cranky yowls to find him.

I fell down an entire flight of stairs. I was carrying vinegar into my brother’s basement, and I missed the first step. The only real injury was to my pride and his poor basement that has an immortalized stain of my vinegary footprints on the floor.

My children always loved being able to play hide and seek and giggle to their hearts’ content because I couldn’t sound locate. My hearing loss made the game more fun and silly.

Whenever I do paddleboard yoga, I always end up falling in the lake. I just plan to get wet. Regardless, I enjoy myself and laugh at the inevitable large splash as I hit the water.

I feel like I could probably write a novel with ridiculous things I have misheard or missed during conversations. My staff often make jokes about the silly moments that happen at work because of my hearing loss. I probably make my kids laugh at least once a day, asking for clarification by saying a nonsensical phrase that rhymes with what they actually tried to say.

The important thing isn’t that there are zero mistakes, but rather that I don’t become frustrated or give up. Choosing laughter rather than frustration keeps me moving and the mood positive. Laughing is always good for the soul. And how convenient that I have a source of laughter with me wherever I go.

“A good laugh heals a lot of hurts.” Madeleine L’ Engle