Forgetting to Remember
Whatever it is I seem to be doing it more often than not these days. Ah well, such is life.
About an hour ago I remembered I’d forgotten to log on to share some important news with you all. Now, sitting in front of my pc I’m blessed if I can remember what it is I was going to say. Believe me it is important. At least I’m sure it’s important. Well, if it’s not important it’s worthy of note to share with you – I think. But what the heck is it?!
Does this happen to you?
Time and again I’ve been focused on a task in one room, but by the time I’ve walked into another room I find myself asking what the heck I’m doing there. It gets worse. Sometimes when talking to members of my family, or work colleagues, the slightest distraction or interruption can throw me as to completely derail my train of thought and conversation. Good grief! It’s frustration to say the least.
Sometimes I forget the ‘safe places’ I put things and end up wandering from room to room retracing my steps in the hope I’ll stumble across what it is I’m looking for. At work we are required to change our passwords every 20 days, and as much as they are easy to change, they are very easy to forget with the resultant, sometimes embarrassing ‘phone call to the ‘Help Desk’ requesting they reset them for me. There was a time I could mentally store countless telephone numbers and passwords. These days I resort to keeping a little black pocket book to help my search as needed – and only then if I remember where I’ve hidden it.
The other week my wife and I were doing a spot of shopping after a very pleasant lunch in a local sidewalk café when we were hailed by a lady beaming and saying how pleased she was to see us again after so many years. She talked about the days we were in youth work together, of the many days and nights working for the ‘Party, and that she was retired now and living back in Perth. She expressed surprise that not only did we have 3 grandchildren. But when hearing one of them is now 25 years old she lifted her eyes to the heavens as she expressed her surprise as to how time flies. We must have smiled and nodded appropriately because the lady said she was pleased to have bumped into us and that her husband John would be delighted to know we were hale and hearty.
No sooner had she rushed up to greet us she disappeared again down one of the many aisles crammed with everything from food to small electrical appliances. My mind was in a whirl because I didn’t have a clue as to who this lady might be. Nor, for that matter, did my wife. Even to this day I still can’t put a name to the face despite my numerous attempts of going through the alphabet to do so.
Last Saturday I drove down to the local hardware to get some replacement parts for the garden reticulation – stopping on the way to buy a paper and coffee at the shopping mall. As I was reading my paper and enjoying my latté I noticed a 50% off book sale. After my coffee break I wandered over to the creaking tables laden with books.
I guess I must have spent an hour and more rummaging through the books before finding the title 3:59:4 – a book about the first sub-four minute mile – and at $12 it was an absolute bargain. With my prize in hand I wandered back to the coffee shop for another latté and sat and read the first two chapters before going home.
It was only on Sunday afternoon when my beautiful wife asked if I was going to repair the reticulation did I remember what it was I’d forgotten to purchase the day before. My forgetfulness meant I had to pay convenience store prices at the Sunday markets for the replacements I needed.
Can it be that I’m forgetting more and remembering less? Or am I forgetting to remember? Whatever it is I’m promising myself that in future I will remember more often not to forget.
Now, what on earth is it I was going to share with you?
See you later…
Western Australia
June 10, 2005.