I haven't lost any hearing and didn't have tinnitus until after the auto accident I was in in 2010. They make very good earplugs and I own a custom molded pair that I carry with me all the time and they've come in handy since the accident! I just wore them a few weeks ago when a fire drill happened where I work.

I don't have any children, but I understand the responsibility it takes to have them.

That high end you've lost is pretty normal - most people lose 16K and above around the age of 30, I still had mine the last time I check around 31. Most men start to lose their 1K range (which is the range of the typical human voice) in their middle to late age and that is why they have trouble hearing their wives - they're not purposefully ignoring them, they just can't hear them! You're really lucky you haven't lost more hearing than that - and if you do in the future, try to remember that it's very normal.

Nothing wrong with The Carpenters....