REMEMBERING STUFF
I am pretty good at remembering the year a major news event happened, a TV show was first broadcast, or a song was a hit if it happened between 1956 and 1970.
I remember dates of events in that period of time because in those years I was in school. Eighth grade through just after college graduation I can remember years.
“Kennedy elected…Oh yea, I was in ninth grade… that would be 1960.”
“Kennedy assassinated…I was a senior in high school…football season…week before the Plainfield game…1963.”
“Ali, AKA Cassius Clay in those days, beat Liston in the second fight…it was second semester my freshman year in college…1965.”
“What year did Buddy Holly die in a plane crash?”…I got to first base with Susan Reed…eighth grade…1959.”
“Johnson declined to run for President…second semester senior year in college… 1968.”
Anything after 1970, the year of my first marriage, is a blur. Gauging events around the birth years of my children sometimes lets me zero in on correct years, but mostly after I was done with school my life had no specific memorable milestones.
Go to work, change a diaper, fight with a wife, go to work, vote for a president, have a new baby, fight with a wife, have another baby, change a diaper, get a divorce, marry again, have another baby, change a diaper, go to work, get yelled at by a wife, WATCH THE WORLD TRADE CENTER FALL, coach a little league team, go to work, get yelled at by a wife, get a divorce, get yelled at by an ex-wife, marry again…it is all a blur. I am lucky if I can remember an event by the decade it occurred.
If I want to prevent the onset of dementia I think I need to go back to school.
Excellent idea! I can easily see you in a remake of Animal House. ;)
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Scott has an excellent idea. I want to be cast as Flounder!
ReplyDeleteI don't think it is dementia. :) Well if it is don't tell me that's it anyway. j/k :) I think that it is just life- it often goes by in fast forward that we often don't get a break to enjoy just simple little things- I mean bills have to paid and we work work work often w/o any breaks in between. The simple things happen and we forget them for the moment. :( Enjoyed reading your posting
ReplyDeleteMy concern is I'm 36 and barely remember anything now. How's 65 going to go?
ReplyDeleteI can't even remember the night before and who got the kids ready for bed. I'm worried...
ReplyDeleteI can't remember the plot of a movie I watched yesterday but I do remember what I was wearing at an event when I was 16, and the clothes of my friends. I can even tell you what undies I was wearing!! (Why is that?) Oh, and when Princess Diana died I'd just spent a weekend in the snow with no TV and it wasn't till we got home that night and I was in shock. And when Elvis died I was 7 and at my neighbours house with Mum at a Tupperware party and my neighbour was sobbing hysterically. And when Australia won the America's Cup I was in about year 8 at school (I think) and wondering why I wasn't given the day off.
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