Dear belM - another thing we have in common. How nice!
You are right about sounds ... I always turn right, first, to locate a sound.
And it is annoying sometimes ... I got those fancy hearing aids that let me hear the sounds as if I had two good ears and the noise was, well, deafening! Had to give them back!

I was not a "great musician" (thank you for the compliment) but a better than average one I flatter myself.

I think that we should work on getting people to treat everybody with respect and true courtesy no matter what they look like or whether they have the use of all their appendeges, senses et all. Instead we focus on the words describing the state the person is in. As if changing the word will make people change their attitude.

Couldn't agree more heartily. And I am sorry I ranted on so opinionatedly. (sigh-e) Please forgive the dogmatic obstinancy which I recognize now but didn't at the time I wrote the post.
I listen and learn.
Aloha, wow.