**Now I must begin this post with a disclaimer that I know I have a loud voice. It’s part of my charm. I know this. Get over it.**

So I have this elderly client at work who for the life of me cannot hear me. I yell. I enunciate. I talk slowly. Nothing. It is the most frustrating thing for both of us (not to mention the other people in my office! Sorry ladies!). This week I have spoken to her twice. Then finally today she said, “Dear, I do not understand a word you are saying. I cannot hear you. I could hear the girl that answered the phone just fine but I cannot hear you.” When finally the light bulb came on over my head. I asked her to hold and got our receptionist back on the phone and dictated through her. Who knew the only way for me to help her was to pass her off to someone else?

Anyway, this is not the first time I have encountered someone not being able to hear my voice. I know it sounds bizarre and totally made up, but I swear to you this is not. My voice is at an octave that is apparently hard to hear. In fact, my entire childhood my maternal grandmother could not hear my voice. SHE COULD NOT HEAR MY VOICE. She could hear my sisters. She could hear my brother. But could she hear me? NO! So what did she do? She would just pretend that I wasn’t there. If she needed to know what I was saying (for example if I was hurt or needed something) she would ask my brother, “What is SHE saying?” I kid you not. This was my childhood. (You can imagine the relationship we have to this day.)

So I ask you this: What are the odds that TWO people I have encountered in my life cannot hear me, when the rest of the world tries so desperately to drown me out?