Forgetfulness

I saw this poem the other day and I had the idea to keep it until Sunday (poetry day on the blog), but I feel like writing about this today. So I will. As I have entered into my fifties, I am more cognizant of everything that I forget. I’m actually pretty good with birthdays and anniversaries and taking out the trash days, mostly because I am obsessive about writing things down. I scare myself with the things that I do forget though. I instantly forget names of movies and books and the characters in them. I stumble with the words that I want to use when I am relaying a story in conversation, I forget the names of towns I have visited, I couldn’t tell you what cars my friends drive, and I often mix-up our kids’ and our dogs’ names when I am talking to them. But honestly, I think that I have always been that way. I really don’t believe that I am headed towards early dementia.

The things that I do recall clearly, are like they happened yesterday. I’ll recall a story someone had relayed to me years ago, and their mouths drop open. “I can’t believe you remembered that,” they’ll say. I remember the oddest things. I remember a lot of random moments, I guess because for some reason that moment struck me as emotional, or unusual, or important in some nuanced way. Most of us writers are curious. We are always looking to understand, to see the deeper meaning in things and experiences. Most of us writers are observers and “sensers” (not censors). We are always looking for the right words to describe the way things feel. We are a little possessed with the question, “Why?”

I wish that I could remember names and numbers and historical facts better than I do. But I’m grateful that I can remember how a moment felt, what was really being said behind what was being said, tiny trinkets and plants and artwork that marked both sets of my grandparents’ homes, and trivial stories told to me by strangers that turned out to have a lot more meaning to them, when I was willing to explore the plot twists.

My memory is fickle, but it is deeply entrenched in what is really important to me- the heartfelt connection we have with each other and with the Life Experience in general. My heart remembers better than my aging computer of a brain ever did, or ever will. And honestly, that’s all that really matters to me.

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

Here is the question of the day from 3000 Questions About Me:

1394. What sound relaxes you?

Monday Fun-Day

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This feels like the story of my life, lately. The mystery of why I came into the kitchen (well, I might as well get a snack, while I’m in here) . . . . why am I looking at my calendar? Am I sure that I even wrote on my calendar, whatever it is that I am searching for? . . . . Oh no! Something smells mildew-y. I forgot to put the clothes in the dryer! . . . . Where are my glasses and phone? Oh, they’re on top of my head and next to my ear (frightening true story) . . . Did I already take my vitamins? . . .

Funny quote for people who grew up in the 80's, especially those who are  forgetful or have mom brain. #quotes #funnyquo… | Funny quotes,  Inspirational quotes, Words

Pin by ???????? on Funny! | Funny quotes, Real life quotes, Just  for laughs

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

The Bright Side

Fortune for the day –“If you wish to be loved, love.” – Seneca

As a getting older person, I admittedly sometimes question all of the fast-based, interesting changes society is going through (me-“Why does that nice, talented young man, Post Malone have so many tattoos on his face?” daughter -“Mom, he’s doing self-expression.” me- “Okay, please promise me that you’ll never self-express that way, okay?”) and all of the new technology and all of the craziness which I perceive that some of these changes, have brought into our lives. However, as I am noticing myself having more and more careless “senior moments”, I have to say that I truly appreciate a lot of the instant gratification and information onslaught, which is available at almost a twitch of my nose, these days.

For instance, my flight landed home, on Sunday, right after the Super Bowl started. (My husband REALLY APPRECIATED my travel scheduling choice – HA!) Anyway, my favorite part of the Super Bowl has always been the commercials, so I was delighted this morning, to just watch every commercial, right in a row (this is the only time in the year that I am very delighted to binge watch commercials) which I had missed, since I didn’t get home until late in the second quarter of the game. YouTube had them all ready and set up for me. I love it!

Another example – Recently I wrote “10:30 a.m.” on my calendar square, for today. Yep, despite my New Year’s resolution to get better about my calendar skills, that’s all she wrote – “10:30 a.m.” Last week, I sheepishly started to ask my husband and daughter if they had any idea what I might be up to, at 10:30 am on Monday. They looked at me like I had two heads. I decided to blot out the “10:30 a.m.” scribble, with a black Sharpie, on my very old-fashioned paper calendar, hoping to blot it out of my mind as well. Still, the question of where I was maybe supposed to be, or who might be showing up to my house this morning, was nagging at me, constantly. Luckily, though, my young millennial doctor, is very tech happy/savvy and over the weekend, I got about 82 reminders via texts, emails, and voicemails that I have a follow-up shot appointment, today at 10:30 am. I suppose that there must be something in my medical chart, vaguely suggesting early-onset Alzheimer’s.

Final recent example, to illustrate my point – my friends and I were discussing TV shows/series that we have enjoyed watching and I couldn’t think of “Fleabag”. (I don’t think that this is part of my growing senior moment memory loss collection, as I have never been great about remembering names of anybody or of anything, since I learned to talk.) Anyway, I googled something like “name of show where dark-haired British lady scares husband in shower.” Google – Fleabag. Just like that. Boom! Drop the mic. I think that’s wonderful. I am paranoid about privacy issues, yet I adore that Google knows exactly what I am thinking/doing/talking about, at all times. Google normalizes me. I love Google for that fact!

So, moral of the story – there are always two sides to the coin and it is best to focus on the bright and shiny side, right? Now, I have to go get ready for my 10:30 appointment. I have to psych myself up for an old-fashioned shot in the arm. Unfortunately, some things never change.