Yup, I know what you mean...unfortunately, it's my husband, not my father.

My husband was hit in the ear with a snowball during his first year at college.

He had excruciating ear pain and went to the school infirmary. The doctor declared him to have a bad ear infection and gave him antibiotics.

After a week of pain, he went home for the weekend.

While he was at home, his mother took him to the family doctor who diagnosed a ruptured ear drum as opposed to an ear infection.

They surgically repaired the ear, but since he went a week without proper care, he lost a significant amount of hearing in that ear.

Couple that with standard "older male hearing loss", and conversations can be a little strained.

Sometimes we can talk for several minutes before I realize we are having two different conversations...the one I started, and the one he THINKS we are having!

And he, too, firmly believes his hearing isn't bad enough for a hearing aide. Boy is he wrong!!