Walter Cronkite, the former highly-regarded CBS Evening News anchor, is an avid lover of boats. Some years ago, he steered his boat into Central Harbor, Maine. As he approached land he was amazed at the greeting he received. People lined the shore waving their hands at him. He could barely make out what they were saying but their shouts sounded like: “Hello Walter, Hello Walter.”

The boat sailed closer and closer to the shore and the crowd, still sending out their greeting to him, grew larger and larger. Shortly after Cronkite tipped his hat in grateful response his boat abruptly jammed aground. As the crowd became quiet he realized what the crowd had been shouting to him: “Low Water, Low Water.” Do we hear only what we want to hear?

How is your hearing today? More to the point, how do y…