The Five Senses of Life

My sketch of Sam years before he found his singing voice

Today I have an appointment with the audiologist. I can't hear very well without my hearing aids. And I can't hear very well with them either. The volume is too intense for every sound, making it a challenge to hear the person who wants to be heard. So today, I have much to discuss. Let's hope I can hear what my options are.

Three guys walk into a bar.
First one says, "Windy, isn't it?"
The second one says, "No, its Thursday!"
The third one says, "So am I. Let's get a drink."

I could be a part of that club! It's a shame my memory is fading as fast as my hearing and I can't remember some of the funnier things I thought my kids were telling me over the years. None of us are perfect at my house. From not hearing, to driving with one eye, to a few missing teeth, to gluten intolerance and a lack of hair, we present quite the family portrait. I guess everyone has something they can laugh about.

Of the five senses, hearing would be an awful thing to lose when you have fallen in love with the deep baritones and humorous lyrics of Sam at a microphone. And Norman could rhapsodize over the image of his children seen with two good eyes. But I really think my sense of touch is my favorite of all. How I love to feel the soft fur of my dog, to caress the warm skin of someone I love, and to create. My hands create. My hands make me who I am. My sense of touch has to be my fav.

A sketch of my hand, an odd selfie but a perfect reflection of me

I have always been fascinated with hands. Going way back in time, a teacher at my Junior High took us on a tour around the school and told us to notice how the portraits in the hallway did not have hands. She had said, "They are very hard to draw and artists will often leave them out!" That was not the first time I thought a teacher was ridiculous. So I took her up on her challenge and I usually found ways to include them in every drawing. The angles and lines of fingers are really no different from getting the features of a face just right. It is a matter of learning how to see.

Another selfie with hands

My final year at Queens College, back in 1979, was spent working on a series of pencil sketches of me. Imagine staring at yourself in the mirror for an entire year! I came to know my hands and my face pretty well in those days. Back then, figuring out how to be an artist, I had no clue what a wonderful life I was about to embark on. The life that began the day I met my husband brought meaning and joy to all of my senses. Together, we have kvelled over the sound of Sam's CD on the car radio, the sight of delight as Michele accepted Zach's proposal, and the mouthwatering aroma of apples and cinnamon wafting through the oven door at Katie's apartment. I could never have imagined back then what my hands were capable of creating. I still have many things to see, hear, smell, taste, and create. If only I can remember what they are.

At least I have hearing aids.