At the Carwash

Have you ever just "felt" the carwash? I mean, tuned out all that noise of the automatic, high pressure water, slamming your car and windows only to gently spray suds of beautiful colors...then hit you again, hard with the H2O.
Well, today, I was on the phone while using the carwash, Brook narrated the events to her doll as I chatted on my phone, pausing to apologize for sounding as if I were about to take flight in a chopper. When I ended the call, I realized that I would have never been on the phone a few years ago when Brook had hearing aids as an infant. You see, I guess she didn't hear so well or maybe it amplified this too much, who knows...but the two times I took her thru a car wash, I vowed never to do it again. It was pure torture for the child. At first, I thought it was just scary for her, being only one, watching this huge "mouth" swallow us, car and all...not knowing what was on the other side. So when she had the same reaction the second time, it was years before I tried it again, in fact, not until she was really trained with her first cochlear implant. Pre implant I literally crawled into the back seat, held her close, as she screamed in horror, looking at the windows frantically as if she were being tortured with fear. Today while on the phone, I realized how violent the carwash actually feels. If you aren't paying attention to the sound, and go by feeling only...it vibrates your bones, sways the car, and then throws water and soap at your face as if it's trying to break in. Very scary! Try it next time,it's hard for the hearing to pretend to not hear, but concentrate on the visuals and your sense of touch. Sorry Brook, I just didn't know.