Saturday, August 6, 2011

Where Did My Memory Go?

I feel like I'm losing my memory. I see people I know I know, but can't recall their name or how I know them. I think of people I graduated with and can't think of their last names, so then I play the ABC game. I know it starts with a D and has two syllables... Fredrickson! That's it!!! I called my best friend from High School the other day to ask the last name of a girl we were really good friends with- turns out the girl shared my maiden name. "Oh yeah..." was all I thought. I feel like some day I'm going to go to the mall, some lady I don't recognize will come up to me with arms outstretched for a hug, I won't recognize her and then suddenly realize it's my sister and the reason I went to the mall was to meet her there. I tack it all up to stress, but I'm not stressed. I can remember every word to every Michael Jackson, Bon Jovi, and Poison song from High School, but what the hell is my phone number?? I can remember my best friend's address growing up, but can't remember my dad's address he's had for the last 20 years. I wonder if my mind is so full of crap I don't need (thanks a lot Mr. Holm my High School Social Studies teacher) that I don't have room for new stuff. But names of people I should know isn't actually new stuff. I am having a class reunion this summer, so for fun I was looking at my senior album. I don't remember half of the people who wrote something in it. I read the names of seniors and I'd swear they weren't in my class- which is sad, because we only had 58 people in our graduating class. Yet, I can remember detailed conversations I had with my 8th grade "boyfriend" on the phone. I remember my 5th birthday, but can't tell you a thing about my last birthday other than my students didn't remember even though we had a count down for weeks while it was coming up. I remember the box-elder bugs on the wall next to me while I took my SATs, but have no clue how I did on them. Apparently it was well enough to get into college. I still remember my college ID number- 911697, but have to look up the word "college" every time I write it. I can't remember titles of movies- or the actor's names that are in them. I describe them as, "You know that movie. The one. With the guy. That one guy? His name is a four letter name... And that girl. The girl with the hair... You know right??" Maybe it's early old age? Maybe early onset of Alzheimer's? I remember my first kiss, and the conversation leading up to it. Yet I can't remember the conversation I had with my Gynecologist last week. Maybe beer is killing my memory. I remember the "cookie" play we put on in first grade- and my lines- "MMMM Chocolate Chip!" yet I forget daily that the on-ramp to the interstate by my house is closed, and has been for the past 6 months. Maybe it's lack of sleep, or vitamins. I should take some vitamins. If I could only remember where I put them...