This Would Have Been a Much Funnier Blog if I Could Remember the Punchline

I was talking to some friends recently about memory loss. It is a sad thing that happens to all of us as we age. As I have written about before, my long term memory seems to get sharper as my short term memory gets really poor.

This short term memory loss causes complications in our lives. How many of us walk into a room and forget what we were after? How many have a code they use with their spouse when they can’t remember someone’s name and can’t introduce them upon running into them? My problem is that I recognize people from elementary school no matter how long between seeing them, but can’t remember someone I have met even multiple times in the past few years. It is a horrible feeling. Just a few weeks ago I bumped into someone I have known for at least a dozen years – a very sweet woman. I couldn’t remember her name though to introduce her to my husband and he wanted to know who she was. This is how our dialog went afterwards:
Gary: Who was that?

Arlene: I have no idea what her name is right now, but I will think of it.

Gary: Start with the alphabet

Arlene: That never works for me

Gary: Well, then forget it.

Arlene: I can’t because I really, really like her! I need to know her name because I like her!

Arlene: 30 minutes later: Shouting out her name! But Gary’s nowhere around! (Will I even remember to tell him the name? Who knows?)

Just a week ago I heard an ADORABLE, easy to retell joke. I kept repeating it to myself so I would remember it. Now a week later, and I can’t even post it here because I totally forgot the punchline!

Recently a group of us were trying to think of an actor from the Mod Squad. No one could remember the name of the actor except me. Clarence Williams. This is 45 years ago so it is an easy memory. Lyrics to songs from longer ago than that – still vivid in my brain.

A current actor’s name who a friend and I were trying to recall? Not a chance. My friend and I were whipping out our smart phones to Google the answer.

Even more frustrating with this memory loss, it has caused me to lose things that were tucked away safely. Yes, you read that right. I have LOST things that were put away in a very safe place. I do distinctly remember thinking at the time that they NEEDED to be put in a safe place.

So safe in fact, that I cannot for the life of me remember where it was that I thought was so safe at the time.

There is a gold brooch that I would love to find as soon as I figure out the safe place I tucked it away in.

There are old photographs that were so precious to me, I decided to put them in a very, very safe spot. Except the spot is so safe, I can’t locate it.

And on and on it goes.

It used to work to retrace steps when I misplaced something. But these items are not simply misplaced. They were PLACED.

As in a SAFE PLACE.

Unfortunately, I must have a lot of safe places in my home because I have gone through so many places that I would regard as good hiding places and none of the items have turned up yet. Then again, my house was built by a clothes and accessories chain store owner who appreciated lots of storage room. Apparently there is no end to what I deemed as a “safe” place for these items.  So I still have thousands of storage spots to mine through, having tackled the ones that I thought were most logical. Logical – ha!

The good news: If I can’t even find these things, a burglar has no chance!

Sigh. Aging is not fun.

 

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