| Mama is ninety-three years old. She often scolds me | | | | to keep in touch. I thought this would be the perfect |
| for being forgetful. "Lord-a-mercy, Young'un," she'll | | | | way to get her name, so I said, "oh, you'll need to |
| say, shaking her head at me. "I'll declare if you | | | | give me your phone number." She smiled and waved |
| wouldn't forget your rear end and leave it in the chair | | | | it away as she rounded the pork 'n' bean aisle. "I'm in |
| if it wasn't already in your pants."I don't get angry at | | | | the phone book. "Some people are good with dates. |
| her for scolding me. For one thing, at my age, it's nice | | | | I'm not. The only date I can remember is the one my |
| to be called a "young'un" and in the second place | | | | sister set me up with. Boy was he a...oops, wrong |
| she's right. I can't remember my own phone number | | | | kind of date. Now where was I? Oh yes...My birth |
| some days.Like the other day when I wrote a check | | | | year is about the only date I can remember. |
| at the store and the cashier asked to see my | | | | Sometimes I have to count backward to figure out |
| driver's license." ...or, just give me your driver's license | | | | my age.And don't you hate it when someone asks, |
| number if know it. I need to write it on your | | | | "What was the name of that song, movie, book, |
| check."After I got up off the floor and stopped | | | | person..." or whatever they are trying to remember? |
| laughing, I handed her my driver's license. She must | | | | This makes me crazy. If they had not asked me, I |
| have been kidding. Right?According to an article I | | | | probably would've remembered it. But since they put |
| read from The American Academy of Family | | | | me on the spot, my brain keeps getting a 404 |
| Physicians."Beginning when you're in your 20s, you | | | | page-not-found error. Then I spend the entire night in |
| begin to lose brain cells a few at a time. Your body | | | | sleepless anguish, trying to remember it. And then it |
| also starts to make less of the chemicals your brain | | | | comes to me all of a sudden when I'm least |
| cells need to work. The older you are, the more | | | | expecting it, like in the middle of a church service or |
| these changes can affect your memory. Aging may | | | | while I'm waiting in line at the bank. Then I get all |
| affect memory by changing the way your brain | | | | these funny looks from strangers when I jump up |
| stores information and by making it harder to recall | | | | and down and yell out the answer.My doctor's office |
| stored information. "Could this be sort of like when | | | | started a new service a few months ago. Now they |
| your computer's hard disk needs defragmenting? I | | | | call the day before and confirm the appointments for |
| think something happens to our memory files after | | | | the following morning. I'm really glad of this for it |
| we pass the forty year/five million mile marker, | | | | helps me remember to not forget to show up. |
| whichever comes first. I always say mine is neither | | | | However, it may not be a service at all. Maybe I'm |
| age nor mileage. It's all those sudden stops that have | | | | the only one they call?Mega Memory, a new product |
| worn me down. Too bad we can't just run scan disk, | | | | on the market developed by a gentleman named |
| defrag, then reboot our brains.I miss my mind. I really | | | | Kevin Trudeau claims to teach techniques that |
| do. I miss the old days when I could remember | | | | stimulate neurotransmitters in your brain to instantly |
| everything I needed to buy at the market without | | | | increase your memory and mental capacity. There |
| making a list. Now I even have to take a pencil with | | | | are also a gazillion different pills and potions and |
| me and mark off each item as I place it in my | | | | oceans of lotions that claim to aid in memory |
| shopping cart, otherwise I come home with ten jars | | | | enhancement.I keep buying them...I just can't |
| of peanut butter.I bumped into an old friend of mine | | | | remember where I put them!Leeuna Foster has been |
| the other day while at the grocery store. (thank | | | | writing for two decades. Her fiction and poetry have |
| goodness she wasn't injured.) We were exclaiming | | | | won several awards. She is also a regular contributer |
| over how long it had been since we had seen one | | | | to StoryTime Tapestry and a syndicated columnists. |
| another. All the while I kept thinking 'Who in heaven's | | | | Her latest book, Hangin' With the Rednecks is now |
| name IS this person?' I should have remembered her, | | | | available in print or in ebook form. Visit her website |
| but for the life of me I could not remember her | | | | for details on how to purchase your copy...don't wait |
| name. We chatted for a few minutes and promised | | | | for the movie! |