..In which I Try to Stop Complaining and Appreciate What I Have

Every now and then (more often than I care to admit), when I find myself in a whining mode, annoyed at a case, opposing counsel, slow or non-paying clients, creditors, I try to remember the story I read earlier this summer (July 17 in the Tennessean) about Kristen D’Antonio, a young 20 year old woman who is gradually losing her hearing. Her mission is to hear all the music she loves, from The Who to Anoushka Shankar, before she goes deaf, so that she can remember it.

I remember that we used to play a stupid pseudo-philosophical game: would you rather go deaf or blind? This woman answers that question with "I'd rather lose my eyesight than my hearing. When you hear things, it creates images in your mind — you can still 'see.' "

What especially struck me about Kristen’s story is her good cheer and positive attitude in the face of all this, and a number of other health issues. I want to remember her story and listen to music, and perhaps everything else, a little more carefully.