I used to do most of my work within the music industry, which meant going to a lot of shows. Early on I started wearing earplugs. The odd time someone would give me slack for it, but something as fragile and important as your hearing is worth pulling out all of the stops to protect.

I was at this hardcore show a few years ago that was so loud that my earplugs weren't even enough. When I adjusted them, I heard the raw volume of the show --- I'm surprised my head didn't explode.