Saturday 26 September 2009

Memory

I used to have a terrific memory. My brain stored dozens of telephone numbers. Now I'm lucky if I can remember my own, so without the address book and stored numbers on the phone, I'd be lost. I like to think that my brain has accumulated so much knowledge over the years that it goes on overload. It's all there somewhere but scrambled up.

In my field of psychology, I used to be able to rattle off writers and concepts without thinking. Now that I've retired from work, that information is right at the back of my memory bank. I still have the books, notes of workshops, research etc. so can retrieve stuff when I want to, but I don't need to.

Learning Spanish has been a big hurdle and I fall regularly. The best times are when I can devote time and energy to nothing else, but how practical is that. Acquiring new knowledge keeps us on our toes, but I guess the old stuff has to move over to accommodate it.

I love my PC, learning what makes it tick, surfing the net, keeping my photo albums. Now I have a special notebook nearby called "Daily Doings and Reminders". I note if I've ordered something on the net, Bookmarks that require a lot of time to read, blogs to revisit. I tried the blogroll thingy and it clogged up by home page so much, it took for ever to load.

Yet, here's the curious thing: information gained in my childhood without my knowing it has stuck with me. If I watch old b/w American or British movies, I can name all the actors and useless stuff about their lives then. My Christmas pillow-case always contained a glossy Annual about the movies, along with books like The Secret Garden, Children of the New Forest, 1001 Things for Girls To Do. (I still have the latter so need never be stuck on how to crochet, knit, sew on a button!)

Thanks to Ronni at Time Goes By
who, timely as ever, reminds me of the idiosyncracies of my aging person.

3 comments:

Darlene said...

I wrote a comment on TGB about worrying about dementia, I am forgetting so much. However, like you, long forgotten things from childhood keep intruding. I think my brain is like my computer; all mixed up.

I also have a 'thing' about mascara. I have pale lashes and eyebrows that I have covered up since the age of 13 with mascara.

Next week I have to have a cataract removed and have been told I can't wear any makeup. I am being picked up by my only male friend and I know I will be embarrassed. Yikes!

karin said...

Good to have you back Lady Luz. Yes, I miss Celeste too. I try to send her healing energy.
Speaking of memory, am I correct in remembering that you commented on also being familiar with TA?
My new project is Jung. I just returned his autobiography in which he tells me I might want to read all his works. Now that might help my memory. I also am remembering dreams from my childhood.

LadyLuz said...

Hola Karin

I used to keep a notebook by the bed to write down my dreams. It was surprising and helpful how many connections I was able to make when pondering the meaning.

Yes, I trained in T.A. psychotherapy and still have all the books. Particularly helpful are the Script approaches, the Drama Triangle. I was also a devotee of Irvin Yalom - existential psychotherapy. He wrote a few novels - When Nietzsche Wept, The Schopenhauer Cure and a few based on fictionalised patient histories. All a real treat.