Being a Supergran is a lot easier if you are hard of hearing - Susan Dalgety
After several years of struggling to hear conversations in the pub or over lunch in a busy restaurant, I have discovered there is an upside to being slightly deaf.
Last weekend, I was the chaperone for my youngest granddaughter’s birthday sleepover. To celebrate reaching 12, Sofia had invited three of her school friends to stay over and I volunteered to keep an eye on them.
As they settled into her bedroom for the long night ahead, armed with several bucket-loads of popcorn and enough make-up to stock an average Superdrug, I sat back to read my book. I was only two pages into my latest crime novel when the screams started.
Startled, I rushed through to her room, only to find four very cheery young women. “We’re fine Gran,” laughed Sofia through a mouthful of snacks, “don’t worry.”
Returning to the sofa, I realised I was in for a long night. Sofia had already told me that she and her friends planned to stay awake until “at least” two in the morning. In bed, I could muffle their excited laughter by wearing my Airpods.
Falling asleep to my favourite podcasts about American politics is one of the great pleasures of my life. If you haven’t listened to the Mooch (Anthony Scaramucci) analysing his former boss, President Trump, you are missing out. But what to do until bedtime? Remove my hearing aids, of course.
I spent a pleasant couple of hours reading about the adventures of Inspector Brunetti in Venice, oblivious to the hilarity emanating from Sofia’s bedroom. And after checking that they were all in one piece, I fell asleep to tales of President Trump’s latest escapades.
In the morning, I found four very tired young women, bleary-eyed after only a couple of hours’ sleep. “I hope we didn’t disturb you Gran?” asked a solicitous Sofia. “Not at all,” I laughed. ”I slept like a log, now who wants breakfast?”.
And the moral of this tale? Being a grandmother is one of the greatest privileges of my life. I am much better at the role than I was at being a mum, as I am sure my sons will testify.
Plus there are times in life when being hard of hearing is a distinct advantage.