I have a confession to make.

I’m hard of hearing.

My tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, makes every sound around me a little fuzzy.

Some voices are harder to hear than others.

Thus, I partially read lips.

And, when looking at lips, I sometimes forget to pay attention to the context of the words I’m hearing, paying attention as I am, a red-blooded American male, to the lips of the person talking to me at the time, especially the opposite sex.

For that, my inattention in the moment, I apologise.

It doesn’t happen all the time.

Only when my 1) guy meter, or 2) curiosity factor is overactive, thinking:

1. “Wow! Those are pretty lips.  Natural or lipstick-enhanced?”
2. “Hmm…chapped lips.  I wonder if that person has thought of lip protection from wind and sun.”

Wait, what was that you were just saying?