I'm not nearly in your boat, David -- but afew years ago one of the companies which was hiring me made me undergo a hearing test. After a few minutes, the person administering the test asked if I grew up hunting. I said, "Yeah, rabbit hunting. I've killed thousands." He smiled back and said "Yeah, I could tell."

I asked why and he asked me to listen to the little noise in my left ear. I said, "Yeah, so?" He then said "That's the same noise I've been making in your right ear for the last minute and a half!"