A Veteran’s Tricks
Apparently I
am a veteran. No, not a Veteran, as in
served my country in the armed forces. I
am a veteran as in one who has long term experience in a particular field. I am a veteran at life.
If you are a
sports fan, you are familiar with veterans.
They are the old dudes who no longer have the skills or strength they
once had, but get by through experience, knowing situations and replacing skill
with superior strategy.
The pitcher
who loses the pop on his fastball, but knows all the batter’s weak spots. He does not blow the ball by the hitter, but
he throws it in spots that the batter cannot reach…he is a veteran.
The
linebacker who used to use his speed to rundown a ball carrier or sack the
quarterback, now recognizes a play by the formation or the movement of a tight
ends eyes, and moves to the correct spot as soon as the ball is snapped. He has lost a step but uses his experience to
get the job done…he is a veteran.
I used to
preform simple tasks, even multiple tasks without forgetting anything. If I misplaced my keys, I would retrace my
steps in my head and then remember where I left them. These days I get lost in the retracing. I can’t get past, “Let’s see, I opened the
front door and then…I got nothing.”
The solution? A veteran old person knows to always, and I mean
always, leave your keys in the exact same place.
When you come home, a veteran old person knows not to allow any
distraction, he goes to the same exact key place, and leaves his keys in that
same exact spot, then he goes on with life certain that when he needs to, he
can find his keys. It is a veteran move.
When I
barbequed as a rookie at this living life thing, I never forgot to turn off the
grill. When I finished grilling, I would
turn the burners on high to carbonize all the left-over grease, bring in the
food and know to go out and turn off the burners five minutes later. I have lately lost a step. Several times in the last year, I have
forgotten to turn off the burners and only realized it the next time I went to
grill and the tank was empty.
The solution?
Whenever I grill I jam a towel in the patio door handle. When I see the towel, it reminds me the grill
is still on. As soon as I do shut off
the grill, I remove the towel. It is a
veteran move.
These days
when I go out I often forget things. I
forget my bowling ball on league night, I forget a bottle of wine when visiting
friends. This never happened to a young life rookie.
The solution? If I have something special to remember, I
simply put my car keys in the refrigerator.
When I go to leave, my keys are not where they are supposed to be. This is my reminder that I have forgotten
something, I grab the item I have forgotten, and fetch my keys out of the
refrigerator, the only other place they could be. It is a veteran move.
Yes, I may
be getting old. I have lost a step, but
I have tricks up my sleeve. I am a veteran.
I find the easiest things to forget are the ones I do all the time. Like taking pills. A minute later, I'm thinking, 'Did I take my pills or did I remember from yesterday?' 9 times out of 10, I did take them, and sadly that 1 time, I was remembering previously taken pills.
ReplyDeleteMy veteran move is to make a list of things I'm supposed to take somewhere and tape it by the front door so I see it on the way out, that way I can check I have everything. A second, easier, method for me is to get everything I need together in one place, then pack it straight into the backpack or bag I'll be using the next day. This is then placed beside the front door.
ReplyDeleteI get this veteran thing. I've been doing it lately when I want to start the dishwasher before we head out the door to do something. I put the dishwasher liquid on the counter by my keys or cell phone. Good reminder and the dishes are done when I want them done. Years ago I learned the tip of putting the keys in the same place. Anything to get us through the day with less frustrations!
ReplyDeletebetty
Have you got to the stage where you lose the phone, then find it in your hand? Yes, that happens. If I use the phone as a torch I panic because I can't find the phone that's actually in use as a torch. Need I say more?
ReplyDeleteYep..while the hubs wastes precious moments of life searching for his hat, his keys, his shoes, his sweater I can fine everything I need because I have \a plan'. You gotta have a plan.
ReplyDeleteThose are great veteran moves! I do something similar, like leave a Kleenex box on my dashboard to remind me to get gas.
ReplyDeleteSome good strategies there. I might try the key in the fridge thing myself. My New Year's resolution was to not go back into the house after starting my car to get what I am forgetting. So far, a complete failure.
ReplyDeleteSD as you know makes lists, he rarely forgets anything EXCEPT, his keys, at least 3 times a week he forgets to pick up his keys from the place that he always leaves them so he won't forget them.
ReplyDeleteI'm a veteran too. Who knew? I didn't until I read this post. It explains so much.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day, Joe. ☺
Joe I can so relate to this post, I just keep my keys in my pocket now, because of forgetting where I was going when looking for them.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post Joe and proud to be a fellow veteran.
Some smart veteran moves here joeh. My keys are easy---now. I have a key clip attached to my purse straps. As soon as I take them out of the ignition, I clip them to my purse. Always have them handy and it is even easy to open the front door for I have long straps. We adjust or get left behind.
ReplyDeleteYes, my keys always go on the hook by the door, or in the fridge if i need to bring something from in there, or wrapped by the lanyard around whatever item i don't want to forget. Reminders like this are my life now.
ReplyDeleteI do the key trick too. Also, I take some meds in the morning and evening. Sometimes I can't seem to remember if I've taken the morning meds or not. I now turn the bottle upside down when I take the morning meds. It might sound goofy but I haven't forgotten to take them or taken them twice since I started.
ReplyDeleteTo solve my pill-taking memory lapses, I lay out all three on the kitchen counter when I get up. I remember to take the first one because I'm right there! It's the other two that I take an hour later that I tend to forget whether I took them or not. So when I see them on the counter, I know they're to be taken, and if not, they're already done.
ReplyDeleteSo far, that's all I have a problem with forgetting...
I'm learning - I just bought the husband and I some of those pill reminder holders. He keeps forgetting to put his pills in them. I, on the other hand, sat down promptly and put all my pills in the proper place. I keep forgetting to use it. I keep reaching for the pill bottle.
ReplyDeleteMy veteran move is I always park in the same parking isle at the grocery store, Walmart, and other key places like Home Depot and Lowes. That way, when I lose my van, I only have to look stupid wandering around just one isle.
You have taught me something today, veteran.
ReplyDeleteThose are some clever veteran ideas! Nowadays they seem to be called "life hacks."
ReplyDeleteI make lists but I dig the idea of the keys in the fridge. That is very clever and I will be doing that. I may or may not be a veteran and I may or may not forget a few things.. :)
ReplyDelete