Memory Lapses

I watched a news brief today with my friends from the Early Show regarding science finding the secret of aging. This suprises me because I’ve never thought of it as a secret. It just creeps up on you, just happening. There’s really no secret there. When I think about getting older, three really good aspects of it come to mind. I can sleep sitting up. I watch “Seinfeld” episodes over and over without being able to say definitively whether aI have seen them already, and I can’t remember the third thing. That’s the problem with getting older–you can’t remember anything.
And for me, it’s getting worse. You would think that as I get older this would get better because there is less of my mind to grow absent. I think you know what I mean. You’re standing in some part of your house that you don’t visit often. It may be the basement or the laundry room. You’re looking around with pursed lips, trying to remember why you are there. It used to be that if I retraced my steps back to where I began, the purpose of the curious expedition would come to me. Not any more. Now I can’t even remember where I began. No idea at all.

So I wander around the outside of the RV, looking into the bays, in storage areas, thinking to myself, “what the hell was it that I was looking for”. Thank goodness for the advent of cell phones. I run to the local grocery chain to pick up four items. Gone are the days of hundred dollar shopping extravaganzas. We don’t have the room to stockpile anymore.   So here I am at the local food section of Walmart and I need to make a call.  I forgot two of the four items.  I used to write the items down on my collection of Hemingway moleskins.  I have them lying everywhere. But then I’d often forget where I put them or to take them with me.  My wife does not have this problem.  She can remember everything that ever happened and when. Out of the blue she will say things to me such as ” you remember telling Marge and Bernie Kelley that we may meet them in Hot Springs”, whereby I reply, “who in the hell are the Kelleys”?  But I’m sure this too shall pass.   It will all start coming back to me once the mental trappings of the work-a-day world are finally gone from me.  It’s been too recent since retirement.   Give it time, I’m sure the memory will become strong once again. Allow this retirement to ease me into it again…sure……”when pigs fly”.