What the f*** did you say?

by Bigfoot

This past summer I needed a job. I didn't want to work at a fast food place or anything so I decided to start my own "business". Since I have always been interested with tools and I have always been sort of a handyman I decided to be a handyman for the summer. My first jobs started out as handywork. I would fix toliets, fences, sprinklers, and on occasion I would take some loads to the dump.

I worked hard, long hours. 12 hour days minimum (on average), six days a week. My business flourished becuase I worked hard and did high quality work. Soon a family wanted me to assist a landscpaper putting in their lawn. I was to be general labor and so all the grunt work was given to me. I worked long days with them, some as long a 15 hours in temperatures as high as 116. For the first 5 days there was a backhoe digging a long deep trench, after he was done, I hopped on a rented john deer tractor and spread fertalizer and rototilled it in. For 15 plus days there was loud equipment running all day long until the job was done. After that I went back to handyman work, I layed brick, put in windows, everything I could do, I did.

Most jobs I did not expect to have to wear hearing protection, however many turned out in such a manner that I would have to use some sort of loud equipment. Jackhammers, saws, drills, rototillers, tractors, you name it I used it. Because of the demand of the job field, generally you have to take the job on the spot. Because of this I could not go back home or to the local hardware ware store to pick up any type of hearing protection. I think it is fair to say that 97 percent of the time I did not where hearing protection.

My working season ended a few weeks ago in November. I quit the season with numerous injuries, I had screwed up my hands (carpul tunnel), right shoulder, and a few other things. Thats what I got for hard work, some say I did they work of three men. My last "injury " is my hearing. Lately my family members have noticed that if there is alot of excess noise I will not hear them call if they are in the other room and I will often miss people's questions if they don't say it that loud (like in a secretive manner). Sure enough I have hearing loss to a noticable extent. And all from one summer's worth of work. And I must say that its got me down.

I feel need to share this because I am only 17 years old and I know people slightly older than I am or slightly younger will typically not listen to older people when they say "that can damage you hearing." Trust me though, hearing loss can happen alot quicker than you think and once its happened its permanent.

I never exepected to have the amount of hearing that I do now, at least not until I was a good 40 years older than I am now. Only then would I expect all the years of loud noise to build up. Many of you do not realize that the simple things you do really hurt your hearing. I know my friend pat has just installed a pair of 12 inch subs in his ride and they are alot louded than any equipment I have run. Those loud stereos, concerts, heavy eqiupment, saws, grinders, etc. really take their toll and fast. Be weary for bad hearing is just around the corner and I urge you to take my advice: don't play excessively loud music, avoid loud concerts , and if you are working on a project wear some type of hearing protection.