Heard on quiz show
but which I think applies to us oldies: give a wrong answer, get it out of your
mind and move on, do not dwell on it. It is so easy to worry about our
mistakes.
A case in mind was
when I was asked the name of a certain president in the WI, I gave the answer
and was immediately pounced on by others because I had got it wrong. I knew
immediately that I was wrong and felt a terrible shame, but I was too slow… the
pounce came before I could do anything about it. Okay, I know the others in the
group had to correct my mistake and I did try to laugh it off and put the error
down to my ageing brain. Actually, in a way I was right, it’s just that I had
the wrong WI in mind!
However:
Coping with my
mistake wasn’t that easy. My mind dwelled on the incident and the embarrassment
I felt. Yes, the matter had to be corrected but the way it was done could have
been better and might have prevented hours of anxiety about where my brain was
going. Young(er) people don’t understand about
As a matter of
interest, I checked ‘forgetfulness’ online and discovered that it could be the
onset of dementia and other alarming conditions that affect the mind, so I
settled on the following extract, on the grounds that I am (usually) perfectly
normal. I can reason things out, I can do things, I can write, I can compose, I
can do jobs around the house (albeit slower than usual), I can cook, feed the
cat, talk to neighbours, enjoy music, read books, and go shopping. Here’s the
extract:
It's completely normal to become a little forgetful as you get
older, however, it can sometimes be a symptom of something more serious, so seek medical
advice if you are in
any doubt.
Memory loss, also known
as amnesia, is unusual forgetfulness. It may affect your ability to recall new
events or to remember events in the past - or both. Memory loss can develop
slowly or suddenly and may be either short term or permanent. It may involve
words, phrases or thoughts only, or affect motor memory - when the ability to
perform certain motor skills (movements) is lost.
Mild memory loss is usually a result of the normal ageing process while more dramatic memory loss is usually associated with
trauma, such as a blow to the head or a condition, such as diabetes or dementia.
Unfortunately, ageing
forgetfulness is something we have to learn to live with and can be dealt with
by writing things down, keeping lists and other reminders. Spur of the moment
errors are not so easy to deal with and neither is the ensuing embarrassment
but we must keep smiling and looking at the positive side of life.
Valerie
Some are only too quick to jump down our throats when we might have a momentary memory hiccup. I don't think they realize how unkind they are being, and those that do, tut-tut! It shows them up, not us. You write wonderful blog posts Valerie, too bad the throats jumpers don't read them.
ReplyDeleteI actually agree with that saying in the last image you posted :D
ReplyDeleteMersad
Mersad Donko Photography
Denise, Oooooh thank you. You made me feel so much better. Maybe one day the throat-jumpers will forget a few things and have someone jump on them.
ReplyDeleteHi Mersad. I went back for another look and you are absolutely right.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't fault you for not knowing the President of WI, I don;t even know what it refers to. The President of Wisconsin? I'd be in big trouble.
ReplyDeleteFABULOUS post, Valerie! Well said!
ReplyDeleteEven at my age (61) I too am noticing a forgetfulness that has been slowing occurring over the years. Things like: remembering people's names and forgetting what I need at the grocery store. I'm starting to make lists before I shop so that I don't forget. And thank god we are required to wear "name tags" at work because I work with a lot of people; many of which are new-hires, so I struggle with remembering their names.
I have incredible long-term memory, however, it's short-term I struggle with. I also think that because my mind (my thoughts) move very quickly, I process things fast but don't retain it all.
"Spur of the moment errors are not so easy to deal with and neither is the ensuing embarrassment but we must keep smiling and looking at the positive side of life."
Amen!
Hope you're having a lovely Sunday, my friend!
X
1Joeh, President of WI, or Women's Institute, is one I should remember. I won't tell her!
ReplyDeleteHi Ron, short term memory is what goes first, we can all remember childhood with ease and no mistakes but ask me what I did yesterday and I might not be able to recall. Trouble is, there is so much to remember! my Sunday is fraught with worries.... ipad problems. I broke my iPhone the other day and had to get a new phone. Of course a lot of info is now missing but apart from that I can't get passwords accepted by Apple and other organisations. Will probably blog about that when it's all over.
ReplyDeleteHope you are enjoying your weekend, weather is fabulous here today, hot and dry and wonderful.
I tell my daughter that my memory problems are caused by the fact that my memories are stored in a Rolodex and should be on a memory chip for easier access.
ReplyDeleteI try to include a disclaimer about my memory when I'm questioned anymore. :)
ReplyDeleteSJQ, yes, recently I started to warn folk about my memory. I thought it was better to be safe than sorry... smiles.
ReplyDeleteJanet, did your daughter agree? Wouldn't it be good if we could really do that
ReplyDeleteI've never had a good memory, even when I was younger. I don't know if that's because I've blocked so much out or my memory just isn't that good. I'm terrible with names and I find most things that I'm told go in one ear and out the other. Also I can't remember much from my childhood either.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry that you were upset by some other people's tactless comments. You sound like a very capable person to me.
I have the same problem with memory, short term mostly but something as simple as asking me my age can really throw me off when it is at the spur of a moment, I have been laughed at for having to think about the answer, it's not a joke though sometimes we just have to think about it.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post Valerie.
Hi Jimmy, your comment made me smile. Sadly, though, I never forget my age. It's like an indelible pencil wrote it on my brain. About the only thing it did write!
ReplyDeleteLL Cool Joe, it is sad that you can't remember much of your childhood. Yes, in one ear and out the other was something my mother used to scream at me.... perhaps I drove her to being as she was. Who knows!
ReplyDeleteAbout 5 years ago I became rather obsessed about my poor memory, and even blogged about it. As I work for my mom, she wanted me to pick up some postage stamps for her. I forgot twice in a row. She teased me about it and I actually went in the bathroom to cry. I just kind of laugh it off now, and at the moment I have a pack of cheese in her fridge that I bought for myself but keep forgetting to bring it home. Today might be the day it makes it home!
ReplyDeletekden, it's the teasing that gets to me, too. I can laugh about it most of the time but not when someone else makes comments.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteVery useful tips here. I agree with you about the teasing. I get irritated by it and I'm not the object of derision. Great post.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.
Thanks for sharing these tips and advice.
ReplyDeleteUseful and excellent tips!
ReplyDeleteWell said, Valerie, from a first-time reader of your blog. I dropped in from a fellow blogger (Denise's) place and it as so refreshing to read this post. I am a list-maker and also write dates on paper calendars, even though I have a "smart-phone" which has a built-in calendar. As for momentary lapses of forgetfulness, we surely all have them and my husband and I even "correct" each other. I am much better with names of people and he is up on most everything else, so it works out well. I plan to catch up and read some of your older posts and invite you to stop in for a visit to our little blog site for a visit anytime.
ReplyDeleteHello Beatrice, lovely to meet you. Smiling now... I have a smart phone but when my brain goes AWOL (absent without leave) I don't trust what I've put on there. Sadly I no longer have a husband to nudge me so sometimes I struggle. Not always, mind, there are occasions when I get things right! Hope to see you here again and will definitely pop across to yours.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wise and wonderful woman you are, Val. As always ... thank you. Take care.
ReplyDeleteMy spouse has dementia. Our guiding words are "We're a team & and keep on truckin...:)
ReplyDeleteAwww, thank you, Matt. I wish I felt like a wise woman. Grins...Wonderful, maybe, bUt WISE???
ReplyDeleteTB, sorry to hear that news. Thank goodness she has you. Sadly, there's only one of me at home now and I'm still getting used to it.
ReplyDelete