Nine months after Hearing Link’s programme, I am still amazed, and surprised by some of the changes in me.
I’ve never enjoyed eating out. Well, that’s not completely true. On a few occasions the company I have been with and the pleasure of the food has tipped the balance in favour of it being a pleasurable experience. But such occasions are relatively rare. Usually it is the communication difficulties that I remember.
Jan and I have just celebrated 47 years of married life together. I consider myself very lucky to have married someone who could put up with me for so long. But this time when Jan suggested that we celebrate by going out for meal, I found myself embracing the idea enthusiastically. We had a most enjoyable meal.
But this made me think back to an earlier experience. A few years ago, Jan treated me to a special birthday meal at a very special restaurant. I had very mixed feelings. I was looking forward very much to tasting the food, but assumed it would be marred by the usual communication difficulties.
When making the reservation we had asked for a quiet table in a corner, and when we arrived they led us to a quiet table in a corner. Good start! Along came the first member of their team, and I couldn’t make out what he was saying. My heart sank, and I thought: ’Here we go again’. So I went through the routine. I explained I was hard of hearing, and explained how he could help.
It wasn’t until we had finished the meal and were walking back to the car that it dawned on me that although many different people served us during the course of the evening, I didn’t have to explain to anybody else how they could best communicate with me. They all just did all the things that I asked the first waiter to do! Looking back on it, I assume that the first person who served us had gone back to the rest of the team and quickly brought them up to speed. Either that, or he was the only one that had not been on a deaf awareness course!
What about the food? Well I do remember that I enjoyed it very much. But what has stayed with me is that Jan and I had an evening to remember because the staff cared enough to pay attention and meet my needs quietly and without fuss.
What a shame that all restaurants aren’t as good.