I Am Not Listening To You

Recently I was standing in the shower and a question popped in my head.

“Why doesn’t the water coming out the shower, go into my ear and into my head, therefore flooding my brain with water?”

Maybe that thought has occurred to you as well in the shower.

So, then I thought, “What keeps dirt, dust and nasty stuff from going through our ears and into our heads?”

I know, you have probably wondered this as well.

These questions would not go away, so I thought I would research the topic and find out.

Earlier today, I googled “ear, nose and throat specialist” in the area where I live.

I called an ENT practice and began the conversation this way.

“Hello, my name is John Hembree, I am a writer, and I would like to know why water and nasty stuff does not go into one’s head through the ear canal.  Can you help me?”

She politely asked me to hold.

She then came back and said Dr. (Name Withheld) would be with me in just a moment.

And in just a moment I was speaking with Dr. (Name Withheld), AuD, Doctor of Audiology.

Masters degree from Auburn University in Audiology and Doctorate from Salus University.

I expressed my sincere interest in the subject matter and began to ask her questions.

Here is what I found out.

The reason that water, dirt, dust and all other kinds of bad things do not travel through your ear canal and into your head is…

…the tympanic membrane.  (See drawing)

You may know the tympanic membrane as the eardrum.

In her explanation she corrected my continual use of the word “filter”.

Dr. (Name Withheld) stated the tympanic membrane is not a “filter”, it is a “barrier”.

It is the barrier between the outer and inner ear that keeps the bad stuff out.

So then I asked, “What would cause the tympanic membrane to fail, and if it did fail, what would be the consequences?”

She said that the tympanic membrane would fail if it developed a hole or a puncture.

If that happened then infection could set in and lead to other problems.

I thanked her and she went back to helping those who could not hear, to hear.

A true modern day miracle worker.

Every one of us, and I mean every one of us, have people in our lives who want to pour water, dirt, dust and all kinds of gunk and junk into our ears.

It spills out of their mouths and into our ears, then into our brain.

If we let it.

One of two things happen at this point.

We either create a barrier and reject all the negative words that would cause us harm.

Or we develop a puncture and all the negative words pour in, causing infection, which can affect our entire being.

Do not listen to those who tell you, “You can’t”, “You won’t”, “You don’t”, “Blah, blah, blah, blah, negative, negative, negative.”

Let your personal tympanic membrane be a barrier between your mind and the junk that others wish to place there.

As the saying goes, “Let their words fall on deaf ears.”

Know that you have, you can, you do and you will…accomplish great things.

In spite of all the negative words they propel your way.

Do not allow anyone to tell you that you are anything less than who you know you are intended to be.

Use your tympanic membrane and it’s purpose in your life.