An elderly man goes to the doctor, clearly stressed.
He explains that he’s convinced his wife is losing her hearing, but he has no idea how to bring it up without embarrassing her.
The doctor nods thoughtfully and offers a simple, discreet test he can do at home: “Stand at a distance and ask her a question. If she doesn’t answer, move a little closer and ask again. Keep doing that until she responds. Then tell me how far away you were when she finally heard you.”
That afternoon, the man arrives home feeling determined.
His wife is in the kitchen, bustling around the stove, pots simmering, wooden spoon tapping the side of a pan.
He quietly stands in the doorway, about 30 feet away, and calls out gently, “My love, what are you cooking?”
No reaction. She doesn’t even turn her head.
He shuffles 10 feet closer, now about 20 feet away.
He tries again, a little louder: “My love, what are you cooking?”
Still nothing.
She just keeps stirring, totally focused.
Starting to feel worried, he walks up until he’s standing right behind her, practically close enough to see what’s bubbling in the pot.
He raises his voice: “MY LOVE! WHAT ARE YOU COOKING?”
His wife whips around, face full of irritation, and yells, “For the third time, HARICOT BEANS!”
