A man walked into his doctor’s office, looking visibly frustrated. “Doc, I think my wife’s hearing is going,” he said, slumping into the chair. “It’s getting worse every day. I’m starting to worry.”
The doctor, intrigued, leaned forward. “How bad is it?” he asked.
The man shrugged. “I don’t know exactly. She just… doesn’t seem to hear me anymore. It’s like I’m talking to a wall.”
The doctor nodded thoughtfully. “Alright, let’s test her hearing. Here’s what I want you to do. Go home, stand about 20 feet away from her, and say something. If she doesn’t respond, move closer—10 feet, then 5 feet, and so on. Keep repeating the same thing until she hears you. That way, we can gauge the extent of her hearing loss.”
The man agreed, thanked the doctor, and headed home, determined to get to the bottom of this.
When he walked into the house, he found his wife in the kitchen, chopping vegetables for dinner. Perfect, he thought. This was his chance to test her hearing.
He stood 20 feet away, near the doorway, and called out, “Hey, honey! What are we having for dinner?”
No response.
He took a few steps closer, now about 10 feet away, and repeated, “What’s for dinner tonight?”
Still nothing. His wife continued chopping carrots, completely unfazed.
Now he was starting to feel a little annoyed. He moved even closer, standing just 5 feet behind her, and asked again, “Hey, what’s for dinner?”
Silence.
Finally, he was right behind her, practically breathing down her neck. He leaned in and said, “Honey, what’s for dinner?”
At that moment, his wife spun around, knife in hand, and glared at him. “For the FOURTH time,” she snapped, “it’s BEEF STEW!”
The man froze, wide-eyed, as the realization hit him. It wasn’t her hearing that was the problem—it was his.