Oh No! Not Again!

On September, 27, 2007, I turned 67 years old. On November 11, 2007, my wife turned 66 years old. Compared to earlier centuries, that's a lengthy life. Today, it's 10 years fewer than the estimated life span. I'm certainly hoping that she and I don't fall too short of the current span. But in any case, one's life certainly does begin to change as the years pass by, and another can't really understand these changes until it happens to him or her.

In casual conversation, I might mention how much more forgetful I am at this age. I've had people in their twenties and thirties say, "Oh, I know just what you mean. I do that all the time." Well, no, you don't know what I mean because unless you're suffering some some level of brain damage or disease, you can't possibly be as forgetful as I've become. So please don't give me some false palliative.

Also, I've dropped keys or billfold or some small item at a checkout counter and remarked that it happens often to me. The response has become almost predictable. The clerk might say, "Yes, I know." No, you don't know. I have trouble carrying a cup of coffee from the kitchen to my recliner know because I often suffer little tremors which cause either spillage or my losing cup, saucer, and coffee all together. I doubt if that's happened to many young folks lately. If it can be dropped, I'll drop it. My neurological deficits also include often not being able to stop my fingers when I finish typing and hitting some extra keys, like now. Damn!

As for forgetting where I put something, it's becoming nearly pathological. My wife and/or I "lose" our keys on a regular basis. There's a jar of mayonnaise in our refrigerator the top for which is made of aluminum foil. It's kinda funny, but how did that happen? Well, while I made some little concoction recently that required mayo, the top must've snuck out and run away from home. By the time I finished eating whatever it was and returned to put everything back into the fridge, I couldn't find the top. Yes, I lost it in this small kitchen in this small condo.

I rarely get out the door to do anything lately that I don't have to come back in here to retrieve something I forgot to take. Now we each of us tries to go over things with the other as we prepare to leave the condo, whether it's just for a trip to the store or a business trip of several days. Speaking of shopping at any kind of store, our mantra has become, "If it's not on the list, forget it" because we do. And worse than that, we sometimes get to the store and find we've forgotten to bring the list. We only hope, then, to get home with at least some of the items we came out for.

These kinds of things happening with this frequency was not a part of my younger years, even 10 years ago. But they happen often now, and they're very frustrating. And what's almost as frustrating is to have someone say with that youthful smile, "I know just what you mean" No, you don't know what I mean or how this feels. But if you live long enough, you will. Have a good weekend. Now if I can just remember where I put the peanut butter.