Superpowers

One of my passions in life is excellence in recorded music.

When I listen to a song, it’s not just for the melody or the lyrics but for the timbre of a plucked string;  the thwack of a drumstick, or the rustle of brushes on a cymbal.

The slightest improvement in the recording and playback quality of those sounds makes a big difference to me.

I’ve chased audio excellence my entire life. My first system upgrade was at age five. After saving pennies I earned from my Dad’s change for two years, I put them towards a better-sounding record player.

I was clearly born with an obsession for sound.

Over the years, I developed an increasingly discriminating ear. I can easily hear the difference in aftermarket AC power cords used on my equipment. This obsession impacts my life in ways beyond music; we made an offer on the house we’ve lived in for forty years because of the acoustical qualities of the room where my audio system resides.

My family graciously accommodates my passion, tolerating late-evening music playing when I won’t be disturbed by extraneous noises in the house.

After 65 years of pursuing excellence in sound, I’ve finally assembled the audio system of my dreams.

But there’s a problem:

Recently, I found it’s hard for me to hear conversations in a crowded restaurant; I now have to bump up the volume on dialogue when watching movies.  A friend suggested I look into hearing aids. This appalled me!  There is absolutely no way a tiny hearing aid could amplify sound to my discriminating standards.

Ultimately, I gave in, and earlier this year, I set up an appointment at Costco, where customers can trial hearing aids for 6 months and return them for a full refund if not satisfied.

Costco’s service was fantastic. After complaining that the hearing aids sounded too bright when playing my acoustic guitar, the audiologist at Costco invited me to bring my guitar into the sound booth so a live adjustment could be made while I played.

That worked; it was now time for the ultimate test.

Back at home, I put on a superb vinyl pressing of Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, one of the best-engineered jazz recordings of all time.

I was stunned. My hearing aids revealed sound I had previously missed. I couldn’t believe it! But there was a problem, a big problem. The harmonic resonance of the instruments wasn’t as natural. Additional adjustments helped but didn’t completely cure the problem.

Previously, I was thrilled with the sound of my system, but after the hearing aids demonstrated what I was missing, I found myself unsatisfied. Now I’m faced with an undesireable choice. I can either listen without hearing aids, knowing full well the limitations imposed by my hearing loss, or listen with the hearing aids, at the cost of sonic realism.

I know this is a first-world problem, but it’s a big deal to me.

So why have I spilled 500 words boring you with a petty personal dilemma?

Because I don’t think I’m the Lone Ranger; caught up in a myopic lack of gratitude for the amazing living standard I have.

We live at the most luxuriously advantageous time in history. Living standards at every income level have never been higher. And yet we are dissatisfied with our economy, our institutions, and our lives. It seems like the more we have, the less content we are.

We take life’s greatest gifts for granted: like health, cherished relationships, and the beauty of the day— until something happens, and they’re lost. Many times, MJ and I have despaired over our disabled son’s declining health. When things get worse, we long to go back to the way things were. We should be more grateful for the way things are.

We’ve discussed this many times, each time committing to be more grateful, but it’s hard.

When I was a youngster, my mother made me a cape, and I would run around the house pretending I was Superman, using my X-ray vision to see through walls, my immense strength to break large sticks in two, and blinding speed to convince myself I could fly.

Who wouldn’t want to have Superpowers?

As an elder, I’ve changed my view on the superpowers:

Gratitude is a superpower. Over indulgence is its kryptonite.

Presence is another Superpower. When fully present, one’s attention isn’t hijacked by troubling thoughts.

Acceptance, the granddaddy of all superpowers. Life doesn't cater to our whims.

Acceptance, Gratitude, and Presence- I know I will never master these superpowers, but like a kid running around the house in a Superman cape, I have aspirations.

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If you are interested in bringing more Presence into your life, check out my YouTube series on Training For Inner Peace.

If you are new to this blog, each Sunday, I post a topic relevant to the pursuit of a life well-lived, defined as experiencing happiness that is resilient to difficult circumstances, seeing where we “fit in,” and feeling accepted just as we are.

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