I’ve worn glasses since I was 7 years old, and no one has ever attributed my lousy vision to age (except maybe me, when I upgraded to progressive lenses at 40). So why are hearing aids so different, seemingly a harbinger of old age? Seriously, it’s not just an age thing; ask your audiologist.

Truth: I’ve been wearing hearing aids for more than a month now, after an embarrassingly long time of feeling my left ear was muffled. So, I’m announcing it, loud and proud, in my one woman’s voice to ease the shame, embarrassment, or whatever emotions the thought arouses. My left ear no longer feels clogged; I hear things more clearly. And another truth: they’re practically invisible. Other than those who knew I was getting them, no one notices the little devices that conveniently match my hair and sit next to my eyeglass temples.

Besides, what’s wrong with aging? Other than the aches and pains (most of which are related to fibromyalgia, not age), I like retirement. Aging is a gift not everyone gets, so I intend to enjoy it. And I love seeing actors like Andie McDowell embracing their gray.

My hair has been gray since my early 30’s, except for those mid-life crisis years at 50 when I colored it. I like to think it has added gravitas, but mostly, it got me called “grandma” from my kids’ classmates. I’ve never been embarrassed by it, though I did think it odd that both my brothers grayed – and got glasses – at much older ages than I did. Of course, they also went bald, so I’ll take that trade off.

Once again, I was first in the family with hearing aids.

On a serious note, let’s talk about the insurance issue. Insurance, including Medicare, does not cover the cost of hearing aids or glasses (also known as corrective lenses). And the cost of hearing aids is significantly higher than the cost of glasses, even expensive progressive lenses like mine. IYKYK. They’ll pay for the testing but not the corrective devices. What sense does that make? People can learn their vision or hearing is not sharp, but they may not be able to afford fixing the problem. I’m privileged that I can, but I know there are plenty of people who can’t. Studies have shown that hearing and vision deficiencies are tied with cognitive decline, which ultimately presents much higher expenses. Our health care system really needs some work.

Okay, let’s talk about the benefits of hearing aids, other than the clear value of hearing better. They’re connected to my phone and work like constant air pods. Some people might not like that, but I can pipe in my music and take phone calls without looking for the air pods. (For the record, I have long silenced calls from unknown numbers rather than hearing all those spam calls.) Text tones? No one else hears them, but I’m not missing texts anymore. I can adjust the volume with an app on my phone, depending on what’s happening around me. Plus, I wouldn’t have to connect them if I didn’t like those features.

Taylor Swift has her eras. I have mine. I like to think we’re both rocking them.