The View From Aurora

Welcome to my new newsletter.

When I decided to quit the position of editor of High Altitude Hearing, I thought I would leave the subject of hearing loss behind. Of course, I still have hearing loss, as do many or most of you. So it will be hard to stay completely off that topic.

For example: I still receive The Hearing Review, a publication for audiologists and other hearing loss professionals. An article in the November 5 issue, which arrived in my inbox last week, reflected my state of mind. Amy Badstubner, AuD, CPC and Kari Dermer, AuD, CPC, who are audiologists and professional coaches, reported that burnout can sometimes appear, not as exhaustion on the job, but as an urge to keep striving for perfection.

As they explain,

Many high-achieving professionals who find themselves stuck begin by changing something external: adjusting schedules, adding staff, setting new goals, or job hopping. But internal clarity is often the more powerful lever in this recalibration. Sometimes recalibrating doesn’t mean doing more, but instead means letting go of what’s quietly draining you and finding that internal compass again. If you continue overachieving with no internal compass, you will end up lost on someone else’s island.

And they quote a client who said, “I’ve worked so hard for this. Why do I feel like quitting?”

As you can tell, I couldn’t quite let go of the writing habit. One subject I love and love to observe is life in Colorado and specifically Aurora, where I’ve lived for—I can’t believe it—30 years! (In New England, I’d still be a newcomer.)

We’ll see how that works out. I’ll write when inspired, more than monthly, but not too often. I’ll also include photos and artwork. Below are a few examples. I hope you will send comments with ideas and contributions of your own.

—Paula

A beloved, but ailing, cottonwood tree in our front yard comes down.

This hopeful garden sketch dates from the beginning of the Covid shutdown.