Quite true. I'm a geezer and shot for years before hearing protection came on the scene. I grew up on a farm and drove tractors from daylight to dark. I spent most of my adult life working in noisy environments with no hearing protection. I did start using muffs for shooting many years ago. My brother in law that was a jet engine mechanic in the air force gave me a pair of muffs and, oh, what a difference it made. Now I'm half deaf and have the hearing tests to prove it. I use amplified hearing protection now when shooting and love it. I can hear what's going on around me and still protect what's left of my hearing.
I put up with the crickets in my ears for years and then I only became aware of them when I thought about them. Now they are gone. Maybe if you live long enough you outlive the crickets.

Now if my brain would only ignore the floater that comes and goes in my right eye like the doctors say it will I'd be happy. The thing disappears for days and then returns. It's rather annoying. How long does it take? This thing has been around, off and on, for a couple of years.