Photo credit: Kasra Askari
by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
The idea for this blog post came from the juxtaposition of a recent family wedding where the music after dinner was far too loud, and the Black Friday sales starting the holiday shopping season.
At the wedding, I was the only one wearing earplugs. It was noisy enough that some wedding guests had stepped outside in the cool night to be able to talk to other guests they hadn’t seen in a while. A family member who had the iWatch sound warnings set up showed me that the sound level was at 94 decibels. I pointed to my earplugs and said, “that’s why I have my earplugs in.”
Just now, this thought popped into my head as I began to ponder what to get friends and family who really don’t need anything more to clutter their lives–why not get them earplugs?
In much of Los Angeles, and probably similar middle class or wealthier neighborhoods nationwide, no one really needs much of anything, anyway. The seasonal gift giving is reminiscent of the potlatch ceremonies of the Pacific Northwest First Nations.
Besides, if friends and family want something really nice, I probably can’t afford to get it for them, either.
You could give a gift set of two earplugs, one less obtrusive to wear in noisy restaurants, and corded industrial strength earplugs for movies, sports events, and rock concerts.
Your friends and family probably don’t have earplugs, and probably would appreciate getting them. Especially if you explain to them that wearing the earplugs now will probably prevent them from needing hearing aids later.
Just a suggestion!
The Quiet Coalition does not have commercial relationships with any business entities and mentions the Apple iWatch for informational purposes only.
