CHRIST IN WINTER: reflections on Faith & Life for the Years of Winter—FOMO, JOMO, & HEARING AIDS {Sat, 2-17-24}
[Yes, I have hearing aids on my mind; just not in my ears.]
One of the online newspapers I read recently ran two seemingly contradictory news stories. One was about JOMO replacing FOMO. The other was about people who wear hearing aids living longer, because they are more socially involved.
FOMO is Fear Of Missing Out. It affects a lot of people. That’s why folks are looking at their screens all the time. The screen is the source of all activity. Might miss something if you’re not looking.
JOMO is Joy Of Missing Out. I am a strong advocate of JOMO. I think it’s great to miss out on almost everything. Ignorance is bliss, because very little of that stuff that appears on your screen is worth your time. Advertisers and pundits and fraudsters and politicians all proliferate there because they know they have a captive audience. I don’t want to be a captive. I’m glad to miss out on what they are selling and saying and scamming. If you wear hearing aids, you hear all the stupid stuff people say. You can’t miss out. Viva JOMO!
I’m kind of like curmudgeonly old Jim of my long-ago cancer support group. There was a lot of then-new research that showed that patients with a positive attitude lived longer. We talked about it in group. Jim didn’t believe it. He was out to show that you could survive with a bad attitude. Everybody played along. If his oncologist encountered him in a hallway, she’d exclaim, “I thought you died.” He loved it. Being negative was very positive for him. He missed out on a positive attitude, and it was a JOMO time for him.
I’m inclined to say that JOMO is a gift of God.
I understand, though, why people who wear hearing aids live longer, because of the experience of my long-time [for 68 years] friend, Bob. He says that when he got hearing aids, his wife gave up her plans to murder him.
Of course, had he continued without hearing aids, he would have had the JOMO of not knowing what she was contemplating. Now, knowing what she was contemplating in silence, he has the fear of what she might be contemplating without saying anything about it… FOMO…
John
Robert McFarland
I've had the hearing aids for over six months and Marilyn has called off the death treats. I can hear pretty well now. Unfortunately, hearing is not the same as listening. Hearing aids can fix the first but have little to do with improving listening, which is a choice matter. I have discovered if you don't listen you won't hear the rest of most sentences that start with "Bob did you..." or "Bob why don't you..." It all started when I was about five years old. I would go completely deaf at the word "Don't". Still do! Hearing aids on or not.
ReplyDeleteYes, I also enjoy JOMO when I hear my name spoken with a particular tone...
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