Forget About It

I saw U, Me aur HUM just a few days back & it has put the heebie-jeebies into me. The protagonist in the movie has Alzheimer’s and most of what happens to her strikes a chord in me. Ok, maybe I haven’t forgotten my wedding anniversary or where my house is located but I am prone to forgetting just about everything else. I forget where I keep my keys, I forget where I ‘hide’ money, I forget that I have kept something on the stove, I forget to do stuff at work, Sometimes I forget I packed lunch from home & order a takeaway…..imagine.

At home, most of the time I manage thru sheer luck though I would like to give God his due. Thankfully, my kids have sharp ears & nose, so many a time I’m rescued by their timely information…..they smell something burning….water overflowing……..

I make a list in my mind for 5 items from the supermarket. I take 2 minutes to reach for the phone & call them. By the time I’m ordering the stuff I’ve already forgotten 2 items in it. Ofcourse as soon as I keep the phone I remember it but that’s another matter. Where it matters most, my memory deserts me.

On the other hand my loss of memory works out advantageous for the people around me especially the kids. When they behave disgracefully I read them the Riot Act and banish them to the opposite corners of the room for the next 2 hrs. Only after they commit another misdemeanor do I realize that they have left their respective corners and have been wandering freely for the past, God Knows how long.
I never remember how much money people have to give me back unless ofcourse I have noted it down somewhere. Even then I forget where exactly I wrote it down.

Ofcourse I am known for never keeping any grudges. Yeah, you r getting the drift…I forget about it, most of the time. Like today, when I got up at 6.30am and stumbled out of the room my better-half who was already up, came and gave me a hug. “So sweet” I thought “but how come” also crossed my mind. Only an hour later, it struck me what the hug was for. Last night, he & I had an argument about an issue wherein I didn’t consult him before making a decision. Actually I knew he was right and so didn’t argue further. I quietly went off to bed, so he must have thought he hurt my feelings and hence the hug.

At work, I write down everything to be done in my work book. Even then I manage to forget stuff here & there. And this is the 1st time I’m openly admitting it…..I have actually stopped looking for a better job because i fear a more professional environment may not regard my forgetfulness with the same indulgency my present setup is affording me.

Yes, I know I’m not suffering from Alzheimer’s. But there is this fear that maybe all this is leading towards it. If my memory is this bad in my thirties then I shudder to think how it is going to be 2 decades down the lane.

As I scan what I have written above, it comes across as …as…totally worrying. I hasten to correct your impression……. I am not always like this. If I make up my mind about remembering something then ofcourse I will remember until I complete the task. But the question is just how many times can I focus my mind to remember this and remember that…..?

Sometimes when I am least expecting it, I find the money which I had stashed some 4 months earlier. This is the only silver lining in whole scenario.

So does anybody have any solutions to this…….other than suggesting writing everything down in a book(which I am doing). The best ‘Consolation and Practical comment’ will be remembered in my prayers for the next 1 week…….. No I won’t forget(see, 2nd last sentence of 3rd last para).