The forgotten art of remembering. 

Does any of this sound familiar?  (Names have not been changed – the guilty are on their own)

   Me: 
(Carrying 2 shopping bags of groceries into the kitchen)
Hey, I ran into whatshisname at the grocery store.

You know…works at the hardware.  Tall.  Grey hair.  Beard.

Wife: 
John?

Me:
Yeah, John and he was shopping with his wife…Barb…I think….

Wife:
Jane.

Me: 
Right Jane.  Anyway, turns out they live on….um… that street .. you know ..with all the big old houses and nice trees….

Wife:
You mean Oak?    (She starts to put the groceries away)

Me: 
Right, Oak.    Anyway, I’m telling you this because…. (beat)..why was I telling you this?…Um…..

Wife:
No clue.

Me:
Hmmm….Oh yeah, they’re all going to the game on Saturday too!

Wife: 
That’s nice.   Where’s the milk?

Me:
Damnn… I knew I forgot something.

Wife:
That’s all I sent you for.

I don’t know about you but these days I seem to forget more than I remember.  My memory is hit and miss at best.   And when you really think about it, memory is such an odd thing.   How is it that some people can have “photographic” memories while others, like me, struggle to call the right kid by the right name?   My daughter was always amazed that I could name every starting quarterback in the NFL but couldn’t remember any of her friend’s names. (I told her that if her friends had higher passing percentages, I’d remember them).  But my memory glitches are extending beyond names to includes things like phone numbers, street names, websites, titles, stores and pretty much everything else.   Now I’m not to the point where I need a note pinned to my shirt saying, “if lost, please return to”, but it is a pain in the butt.  Worse yet, and I can’t prove this, it seems like my memory is getting worse as I’m getting older.

Now this issue of memory is mingling with my paranoia and that combination has me in a lather over things like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.  Back in the day it was a joke.  You’d forget something and try to cover with a quippy line like “Oh Alzheimer’s is setting in…ha, ha, ha”.  It’s not so funny now.   Both conditions are real possibilities and hitting close to home as I watch aging relatives cope with its onset.  But just because we have the odd lapse of memory doesn’t mean our minds are fading to oblivion.  In fact, there’s a difference between memory loss and forgetfulness.   With memory loss the memory is gone.  It’s like someone erased the hard drive or part of the drive.   On the other hand, forgetfulness is more of a recall issue.  The memory is still stored in your brain, but you can’t access it when you need it.  Apparently, it’s normal to experience more forgetfulness as we age.  Well, it may be normal, but I still don’t like it.

Now when it comes to an aging brain there is good news and bad news.   The bad news is our brains will deteriorate as we get older (that definitely qualifies as bad news).   The hippocampus, the area of the brain that processes memories and is instrumental in their recall, can show signs of degeneration.  Levels of hormones and proteins that protect and repair the brain also decline leaving it open to further damage.   If that weren’t enough, we can also face problems with blood flow to the brain.   As we get older it becomes more difficult to remain active.   The more sedentary we are the worse our circulation, which in turn hampers our brain function.     The good news is, that the impact of all this can be pushed back with nutrition and regular activity.

More good news, most of our memory issues can be chalked up to forgetfulness.  And much of forgetfulness can also be attributed to inattention.   For instance, when we meet someone, rather than paying attention to their name, we’re more worried about what we’re going to say, or how we look or is my fly down (that last one may just be me).   We simply don’t focus hard enough on retaining information to memory and then are frustrated when it’s not there as we try to recall it.   Lack of attention is a big problem.

Our modern world doesn’t help as it’s conspired to wreak havoc on our memories.     Everything today is provided for us – you don’t have to remember anything until you have to remember something.   Our phones have become the repository of our memories.   Phone numbers, calculations and directions are things we used to use our brains for but have now off loaded to our electronics.   Our smart phones are making us dumb as we simply aren’t working our memory enough and the odd game of Sudoku or Wordle won’t make up for the loss.   The old saying is true when it comes to memory, use it or lose it.

If relying on devices for our memory weren’t enough, the issue is compounded by the media we consume which reinforces our diminished attention span.   The scroll and roll world of social media is built for and reinforces short attention spans.  We scroll through posts like Vegas card dealers shuffling multiple decks.   And it’s not just social media it’s pretty much all media.  If you want a sense of how things have changed then watch an old movie from the 60’s or earlier.  The pacing is so slow you feel like you might wither away and die of old age before the movie is over.    I blame rock videos.   Music videos in the 80’s and 90’s picked up the pace of visual storytelling and everything else followed in its wake.   See, this is what we get for watching to damn much MTV!

So yes, we are bound to experience some age-related memory loss as we get older, but the changing world isn’t helping.   There are a few things we can do to bolster our fading memory.    Here are some examples.

Sleep – In the past ten years science has begun to understand how vital sleep is for humans.   Gone are the days when we thought sleep was to allow the brain and body to rest.   We know now that while we’re asleep the brain is anything but resting.    Think of our brain like a big city.  During the day all sorts of business takes place and at night the city is maintained.   This is when the street sweepers, garbage collectors and maintenance crews go to work.   The same is true for the brain.   Sleep is when the brain files memories from short term region to the long-term area.   It is also when it takes out the trash in the form of debris that is otherwise problematic (who knew the brain is self-cleaning).   When we don’t sleep the brain doesn’t have time to do its maintenance/cleaning and consequently, we feel foggy headed.   If lack of sleep becomes a chronic problem, then memory issues will also become more prevalent.   So, don’t forget to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep nightly.

Exercise – wipe that shocked look off your face.  You knew exercise would be on it (besides I can’t put a list together without having exercise on it).  Well, exercise is a massive factor in keeping your mind and body sharp.   Basically, if it’s good for the heart it’s good for the head.   It’s about keeping your circulation functioning as well as possible.   A sedentary lifestyle works against this so it’s important to exercise daily.  Yes, daily – not three times a week or when you feel like it but daily.   It doesn’t mean you’re pumping iron for hours or running a marathon, but it does mean going for a brisk twenty minute walk every day.  Now is that so tough?

Focus for 8-10 seconds – as mentioned the fast-paced world doesn’t help memory.  However, if you really need to remember something then concentrate on it for 8 to 10 seconds.  Scientists say this is the minimum amount of time required for information to be transferred from short term memory to long term memory.

Booze – are you surprised by this one?  Probably not.   Science isn’t being kind to alcohol these days as there really is no benefit to alcohol consumption in any amount.   This is particularly true when it comes to memory.   Chronic drinking leads to a reduction in grey and white matter of the brain.   Basically, booze shrinks our brains.  The reduction of white matter is particularly problematic as it acts as a bridge connecting the various parts of the brain to each other.   With fewer connections we will undoubtedly have more problems with recall.   So, if you want to improve your memory best back off the martinis!

Doorways – okay this is a weird one but walking through doorways can cause a lapse in memory.   Think about it, how many times have you gone to do something, walked into a room and then gone blank.   What are you here for?   Scientists aren’t certain why this happens.  It perhaps has something to do with entering a new place or again distraction.   But if it’s important and you want to remember don’t walk through a doorway.

Write it down – this is another area where technology that’s meant to help is actually hijacking our memory.  Much of the writing we do these days is done on the phone or computer.  With a couple of taps on the keys or screen we have shopping lists, phone numbers and emails saved.  But studies show that if it’s information we need to remember it is much more effective to write it out old school – long hand.   Hell, I barely remember how to write.  The act of writing is beneficial when we are later trying to recall information.  So, break out the Bic and get writing.

As scientists learn more about the way our brain works there will no doubt be more ways to improve and maintain our memory.   It’s important to note that normal age-related memory issues should feel like an inconvenience or as I call it, a pain in the ass, but nothing that impacts your life or lifestyle.   Alzheimer’s and dementia are diseases that impact more than just the memory.   So, if you notice a decline in two or more abilities such as memory, language, judgment, or abstract thinking you should see your doctor.     In the meantime, we can take steps to keep what we have happening.  At least that’s what whatshername told me when I met her at the.. ah…whadayacallit.

 

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