Highlights of the May 7 Mesa West Meeting

Before actually calling the meeting to order, President Jim shared the following bit of humor:

 

After 45 days in quarantine, three good friends, a Mexican, a black, and a white guy walk into a bar. A good-looking girl comes up to them and says: "whoever can say liver and cheese in a sentence can have a date with me." So the white guy says, "I love liver and cheese." She says, "that's not good enough." The black guy says, "I hate liver and cheese", and she says, "that's not creative enough." Then the Mexican guy says, "liver alone cheese mine."

 

In lieu of an invocation our President played a video which had been shared by Greg Okonowski entitled "The Great Realisation."  CLICK HERE to watch it.  It is a very creative, heart-warming and well done look back at 2020 from the future.

 

Pam Cohen shared another video showing of a series of  military flyovers across the nation saluting our healthcare workers for our patriotic moment.  

 

John Pennypacker introduced Bill Pollard, a Past District Governor of Rotary District 7600 in Southeast Virginia.  Bill's district was the home for Secretariat.  Bill was the President's Rep to the District 5510 District Conference in 2014, when Jay Jones was District Governor, where Bill made it apparent he likes to dance.  Bill said that the military flyover video reminded him of his home near Virginia Beach where he hears the Sound of Freedom regularly.  He recalled an opportunity he enjoyed spending time on the George Bush watching military air traffic. 

 

Colton Cagle's presence as a guest was acknowledged.  President Jim asked him if there was anything he would like to share about what he learned on his trip to The Netherlands for Rotary Youth Exchange.  He said that he learned Dutch, which he found to be an awkward language.  He also learned that communication is much more direct in the culture there.  Colton said he has always tried to be very polite, and purposefully avoided being overly direct.  He said that while in The Netherlands he learned you can be both direct and polite at the same time.

 

AG Lee Holmes was also present.

 

Pam Cohen introduced our speaker, Monique Hammond and her husband Ross.  Monique was a pharmacist who had to leave her career because of acquired hearing loss.  Members were encouraged to visit her website:  https://hearing-loss-talk.com/

 

In an unintentionally impact resulting from four hours spent at a fundraising event, because of the loud sounds at the fundraiser, her ability to hear was lost.  She could no longer hear well enough to understand her patients and their physicians clearly.  She was no longer able to provide safe and quality service in her profession as a pharmacist.  Her life was forever changed.

 

Monique got involved with a hearing loss support group where she learned that increasingly, children are being impacted by preventable acquired hearing loss.  A staggering statistic was that 1/5 of children age twelve and over have some hearing loss that will never be regained.  She is passionate about wanting to spread the word and change that trend through education, prevention and empowerment.

 

Hearing loss is a communication issue.  For a child in school, loss of hearing affects their education, their future, and their quality of life.  Hearing loss is also tied to dementia, dysfunctional relationships, and financial hardship.

 

Noise-induced hearing loss causes premature aging of the ear which is preventable.  Parents need to teach their children about making good choices in this area by enforcing rules and living the example of making good choices:

Monique explained that loud noise damages the inner ear and hearing nerve.  For humans, there is no possibility of rejuvenation.

 

Protection is the only prevention.  Once hearing is lost, hearing aids can be used, but she wanted us to remember that they are only aids and do not restore full hearing.

 

Many people believe an incorrect myth that one can become accustomed to loud noise.  She said that ears cannot become resistant to damage caused by loud noise.  She said an MP3 player should not ever be more than 60% of its possible volume, and that every sixty minutes, your ears should be given a rest.  She called this the 60/60 rule.

 

She said that parents need to intervene to protect their children and we all need to spread the word!  Monique knows that Rotarians believe in Service Above Self.  She suggested we make it a mission to help people of all ages hear better and longer, so that the day will never come when the music stops.

 

Before the meeting adjourned, there was a chorus of Happy Mother's Day wishes for all the mothers present at the meeting.