I became Bobby Fischer.

I am an average chess player. I have never played in tournaments or have dreams of becoming a GM or anything close to it. I love to read about chess and learn as much as I possibly can so that I can pass it on to my kids. I sometimes sit and will watch hours of chess videos on YouTube and then pour myself OTB for some hands on analysis. 

I served in the Army and suffer from severe Tinnitus. Due to the constant ringing I require background noise such as classical music or I turn on my sound machine to drown out the ringing. The sound machine given to me plays sounds such as rain, beach waves, or birds chirping. Normally I am fine for most of the day. Well this morning was a different story.

This morning I woke up to my alarm like I do everyday. I went upstairs and woke up my stepson. I have to  wake him up thirty minutes prior to my other son because his school bus arrives at seven o' clock. I had a chess board set up on the kitchen table from the night before with a game I was analyzing. I decided to just sit and look over the board while he had his breakfast. Now this is where it began.

He decided that he was going to sit right next to me and eat his muffins. At first I was OK with it because he usually has questions about specifics moves which are always welcome. The problem was that I could hear his saliva filled mouth chewing on his muffin as if he was doing it into a microphone. I stopped and looked at him because I thought he was chewing with his mouth open, he wasn't. I tried my best to ignore it and continued. His bus came and off to school he went. Now to wake the other kid.

After my other son came down he saw me sitting at the table and quickly asked if I was playing against someone or if I was just analyzing moves. I said I was analyzing and just as quick made a suggestion and a comment (he plays but hates to admit that he enjoys it). As I sat there I noticed that my ringing had stopped or so it appeared to have stopped. It was then that I noticed that I could hear every creek of the floor boards as he stepped on them. I could hear every breath of inhale and exhale that he made. He decided to have cereal. He grabbed a ceramic bowl from the cupboard, a spoon from the drawer, and the box of cereal from the pantry. When he opened the refrigerator to get the milk I could hear the compressor running as if it were an industrial cooling system. He opened the cereal and the plastic bag crinkling was beyond words. The sound of the cereal hitting the bowl as he poured it in was ridiculous. When he poured the milk over the cereal I could hear every bit of the two ingredients mixing and fighting for their place in the bowl. He closed up the cereal bag and put the milk away and then sat next to me to watch. The clinking of the spoon against the bowl, his teeth clashing against the spoon as he put it in his mouth followed by the slurp of milk as he pulled the spoon out was immense. Next came the chewing and the crunching followed by suggestions with his mouth full. OH MY GOD!

I was not able to concentrate because of the amplification of ever sound this morning. It doesn't happen often but when it does it is not as bad as it was this morning. I stopped and stood from the table to get away from the source. My son sat there looking at the board and thinking. 

I took a moment to gather myself and began to think, is this what Bobby Fischer felt like during his tournaments against Spassky. I know it is possible for someone to experience constant noise and then suddenly be exposed to sheer silence and be able to hear sounds that they have either never heard before or have simply tuned out over time. It happened to Spassky when they were playing in the ping-pong room and he heard the buzzing of flies in the light and it bothered him.

I thought this was something interesting to share. Hopefully this is as crazy as I get. I would hate to start thinking that the Russians are out to get me or something worse like my wife wanting me to stop playing chess.

I appreciate your effort to empathize with Fischer. However, he's long gone and you have young children.

I think it's time for you to visit a professional and get some help. What you wrote goes well beyond the normal stress of tinnitus.

and if I may add, long speach with an awful lot of grammar, ambiguities

To: obed513

Question Authority.

From: Lola

Dont worry, children are annoying, I dont know how my parents didnt set me on adoption.

My post was not a complaint. It was more of thought that I sort of understood how Bobby Fischer was regarding sound disturbances. I doubt I'm gonna be tearing my phones apart wondering if my fillings are being intercepted by the Russians. I think it was more of the fact that the ringing actually subsided for a while and was able to hear a lot more than normal.

right, on purpose too, also the laughing stock should be the one claiming he is a poor little brave poop, at least when dealing with a poop, of the presumed ship obviously

why are you talking to a human being?

papuzza, or better yet, aria

I encourage you to write more. On the edge of my seat over here. I'd like to know if you came up with any good moves during this experience? 

My ex wife used to claim the sound of me chewing drove her nuts and accused me of "chewing loudly on purpose."