When to acknowledge ATC

George Patterson wrote:
.... in addition to that, I don't "snap to attention" when someone
addresses me. I'm typically thinking, sightseeing, or daydreaming. I
also spend a fair amount of any long flight listening to music (though
not when I'm near something like class-D airspace).

George,

From what you describe above I wonder if you actually may have some
form of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).(?) I myself had similar
attention type problems that I assumed were due to my ears fading as a
result of all the rock n' roll concerts, guns, getting older, loud women
I've dated(ha!), and other noise that inundated my ears as a younger man.

I discovered just a few years ago that the problems were not that I
*couldn't* hear but that I *didn't* hear because my brain did not kick
in immediately when being addressed. I would constantly miss the
beginning of a conversation and sometimes drift off in the middle of it.
I could not concentrate on anything that was mundane, repetitious, or
"colorless" regardless of how important it was to me. I was often
distracted away by my own thoughts from a conversation or the task at hand.

I did some training and, vol la! I found out that there really was never
anything wrong with my hearing in the first place! I just wasn't paying
attention.

Just thinking out loud....hope that's not distracting. ;-)

Antonio

Antoñio wrote:

I did some training and, vol la! I found out that there really was never
anything wrong with my hearing in the first place! I just wasn't paying
attention.

Tests show that I have lost the higher frequencies in both ears. I also have a
condition (I don't remember the name) which causes distant conversations (say,
20 feet away) to sound about as loud as the person across the table from me.
That doesn't interfere with radio work, of course, but it makes it very
difficult for me to converse in a public place or noisy party. I do a lot of lip
reading.

I can't do that over the radio, and NAV/COMs don't have treble and bass
controls. Thankfully, there are very few controllers with soprano voices.

And it's not a disorder to prefer to be doing something else than concentrating
on listening for your N-number in the static and other conversation.

George Patterson
There's plenty of room for all of God's creatures. Right next to the
mashed potatoes.

George Patterson wrote:

And it's not a disorder to prefer to be doing something else than
concentrating on listening for your N-number in the static and other
conversation.

Unfortunately, the phemomena I was speaking of is called "Attention
Deficit *Disorder* ". I hope you realize that I meant no disrespect.

Antonio

Antoñio wrote:

Unfortunately, the phemomena I was speaking of is called "Attention
Deficit *Disorder* ". I hope you realize that I meant no disrespect.

Oh, I realize that. I was simply assuring you that I have been spared that
particular problem.

George Patterson
There's plenty of room for all of God's creatures. Right next to the
mashed potatoes.

"Antoñio" wrote

George,

From what you describe above I wonder if you actually may have some
form of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).(?) I myself had similar
attention type problems that I assumed were due to my ears fading as a
result of all the rock n' roll concerts, guns, getting older, loud women
I've dated(ha!), and other noise that inundated my ears as a younger man.

I discovered just a few years ago that the problems were not that I
*couldn't* hear but that I *didn't* hear because my brain did not kick
in immediately when being addressed. I would constantly miss the
beginning of a conversation and sometimes drift off in the middle of it.
I could not concentrate on anything that was mundane, repetitious, or
"colorless" regardless of how important it was to me. I was often
distracted away by my own thoughts from a conversation or the task at
hand.

What was that? I was reading it, but I lost track of it somewhere. Who
were you talking to, anyway? ;-)
--
Jim in NC

Morgans wrote:

What was that? I was reading it, but I lost track of it somewhere. Who
were you talking to, anyway? ;-)

Ha! ....obviously MYSELF ! Remember that old saying; "No good deed goes
unpunished"?

Antonio