NEW AND IMPROVED

This blog is now sugar FREE, fat FREE, gluten FREE, all ORGANIC and all NATURAL!!

Friday, February 7, 2014

MEMORY LOSS?




MEMORY LOSS?


A growing fear that all of us citizens who can remember black and white TV and a five cent box of Chiclets have is that of losing our memory.
Alzheimer’s, or as my salon owner sister-in-law calls it, “Oldtimers,” is a very scary disease.  My mom suffered from this disability for several years.  It did not seem like much at first but it got progressively worse each year.  I often wonder what it must have been like to wake up every morning and not know where you were or how you got there and eventually even who you are.

This disease comes at you so slowly that as we age we worry over every little forgetful thing that years earlier would not have meant a thing.  We also see our younger loved ones worry that any small forgetfulness is the onset of a bigger problem.
My SIL the editor pointed out this situation recently.  She says sometimes she doesn't know something that her son told her but she wasn't paying attention and she doesn’t want to ask her son because she knows she should know and she knows he knows that she should know and she knows that if she asks him he will think that she has forgotten what she used to know and she knows he will worry…you know. (Pause, catch your breath.)

The truth is that often when our young loved ones explain something to us we do not forget what they say; we don’t listen in the first place because we are old enough to politely listen but actually ignore stuff when we don’t give a shit.  (OK, I promise no more ridiculously long sentences.)

So to all those young worriers, relax.  We worry enough for you.  In the meantime:

If we watch the same TV show twice and don’t remember it, we probably don’t like the show and didn’t pay attention the first time because we did not give a shit.

If we forgot your birthday, we know the date; we just don’t give a shit.

If we don’t remember your telephone number, we never knew it, we just don’t care…hello... it’s on our phone.

Today is Thursday? I’m retired; the day of the week is meaningless to me and I …that’s right.

I know this is my second bowl of ice cream, I’m fat, I’m old, I don’t give a shit.

In general, if you think I am a victim of dementia, please don’t worry…well actually go ahead and worry.

I don’t give a shit.

   

20 comments:

  1. Hey there Cranky
    It's not just old people who forget things. I am terrible with names and can never remember people's names - always lands me up in very embarrassing situations.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yeah, well, I was going to make a comment. Now what was it I wanted to say?

    Oh yes. I don't give a monkey's. At least, I think that is what i was going to say. On the other hand . . .

    ReplyDelete
  3. No worries for you if you can still put together all the words that make up those long sentences.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hows about you not giving a shit for the both of us, thus saving me not having to give a shit myself? :)

    S

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great post! You're right, though; even if we poke fun at our memory lapses, deep down inside, we're terrified at the prospect of diminished mental capabilities.

    Your post reminds me of a new word: "exhaustipated" It means to tired to give a...

    ReplyDelete
  6. It is unfair and maddening to lose more and more of our physical selves, and then lose the control center, too.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hubby and I have been forgetful for years and years. We both remember black and white television that you needed to turn on 10 minutes before you wanted to watch something so it would warm up.

    I hated Chiclets. With a passion. But I remember them too.

    Have a fabulous day. ☺

    ReplyDelete
  8. sir joeh, its ok. reading your posts before every evening always me smile...

    ReplyDelete
  9. *reading your post every night always makes me smile hehe.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I am so glad you wrote this post so I don't have to.
    Great job.
    I still love you, I think.

    ReplyDelete
  11. The fear is that dementia is not always Alzheimer's. Sometimes it is old age forgetfulness that annoys everyone including ourselves.

    ReplyDelete
  12. My mom calls it "All-Timers." That does not excuse her from calling me by my dad's name, my sister's name, and even the dog's name before she remembered mine. Because she was only 36 back then. I'm thinking we have other issues. Maybe she just didn't give a...

    ReplyDelete
  13. wait, what did you say?

    ReplyDelete
  14. It's not that we have memory loss. We just cramed the brain with so much, it hard to find the cabinet where it's stored.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I try to pay attention when my kids are talking to me, I really do, but they're usually going on about stuff I have no interest in. Of course if they're explaining how to do something on the internet, I'm all ears and writing down notes as well.

    ReplyDelete
  16. You are writing a blog and keeping up with it. So, I would not worry if I were you. However, in my own case I have had hard times remembering things like my aunt passing away and like prices of different items I purchase etc.
    Like Lanthie Ransom says it is not just us old folks who have problem with memory.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thankfully, I remembered how to find my way to your blog. You always make me laugh.. whether you give a shit about that or not. :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. There is a big difference between forgetfulness and dementia.

    Forgetful is when you put the cereal in the fridge and the milk in the pantry.

    Dementia is when you think that's the correct place for them.

    ReplyDelete