Loss Of Hearing Vs Lack Of Respect

(Several months ago, I suddenly lost most of my hearing in one ear. I’m a singer and this has been devastating to me. Thanks to medication, it’s almost back to normal, but I have trouble with background noise and I’m very sensitive about the subject. I’m in my early 30s, and most people think I’m several years younger. I’m giving a tour of our winery, and one visitor has been very difficult through the whole tour. I’m at the last stop on the tour and explaining how the machines in the room work. The visitor starts motioning at me, but I have no idea what these motions mean.)

Me: “I’m sorry, did you have a question?”

Visitor: *mumbles something I can’t hear at all*

Me: “I’m sorry, I can’t quite hear you, what did you say?”

Visitor: “Could you speak louder?! I can’t hear you at all.”

Me: *laughing a bit* “That’s a little ironic that I couldn’t hear you asking me to speak up because you couldn’t hear me.”

(Apparently, she doesn’t see the humor in this.)

Visitor: “You young people! You have no respect! You have no idea how it is not to be able to hear when you’re old! You should be in my shoes and not be able to hear well.”

Me: “Actually ma’am, I’m hard of hearing myself. I know I’m not old, but I know what it’s like to not be able to hear. At least you were fortunate enough to have good hearing for most of your life.”

Visitor: *a little taken aback* “Well, you just don’t… you don’t know—”

Me: “I do know. And this concludes our tour. The exit is right here.”

(She hurries right by me to leave and doesn’t make eye contact at all. However, the other members of the group pause to thank me for the tour and the information. One girl even said she wanted to give me a drink and a hug to try to make up for that difficult visitor. I appreciated that comment more than I can say!)