I suppose I have tinnitus; there is constant white noise in my ears. I've had it for quite a while now, and I'm quite used to it.
Quite a while back, I had my hearing tested; and there was high end loss in my left ear, and both high end and low end loss in my right ear. When I'm in a noisy room, I can't hear what other people are saying unless I lean in close with my left ear.
Of course I played in loud bar band most of my life. But around fifteen years ago, the band I was in practiced in the basement of one of the members. It was not a large room. One night as we were getting ready to rehearse, he was adjusting the vocal levels; all of a sudden there was this piercing feedback, which really hurt. I'm pretty sure that one incident did more damage than any other.
It's a cautionary tale for all of you who are still playing in loud bands. If the person mixing your sound at rehearsal isn't careful, real damage can be done in a second.
Where I live it can get really quiet and peaceful. I like to sit out on the front porch and listen to the creek, the wind in the trees, and the white noise in my ears. They all blend in together.
