Where/when to begin? Chainsaws, my .22 rifle, mowing lawns, all during the summers of my youth. Then I joined the Navy and was introduced to the Government .45 pistol, M-1 Garand and Thompson SMG. I had tinnitus by age 23. First tour was flying in the Navy, lots of jets and turbine noise just added to the problem. I stopped having my hearing checked when I left the Navy; it's bad and not getting better.