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David Harcourt
Administrator
| Joined: | 31 Dec 1969 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 1127 |
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Posted: 3 Sep 2006 11:41 pm |
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I believe I have mentioned here before - possibly more than once (I forget) - that I have always been forgetful, and I'm sure I have told you my story of how, as a callow youth, I went to the Central Post Office in Wellington (a wonderful old building, with an exquisite wood-panelled exterior, which was pulled down 40+ years ago to make way for a hotel of mind-boggling hideousness) with a long list of things to do, there and elsewhere, numbered from 1 to 11, and only noticed at the end of the day that some impudent postal official, entirely unknown to me, had added "12 - Got to the Pub" to my list while I was in his place of employ.
I have told you this before? Good. Then I won't have to tell you the story again.
Now, where was I? That's right. Forgetfulness. Now that I am certifiably old, and got into the pictures yesterday for the same (extortionately-high) price as my children, the members of my family are keeping a close watch on me for early signs of Alzheimer's Disease. I simply can't see how they are going to detect its onset, however, for I am easily the most forgetful person I know, and always have been. If I have known anyone more forgetful than me I've certainly forgotten this.
Three times now I have trudged through every room in the house looking for my glasses (you will not be surprised to learn that I have three more or less but not quite identical pairs of glasses, each of which has its microscopically specific function), growing increasingly anxious until someone has drawn my attention to the fact that I am wearing them already.
But I am fighting back. Last week I remembered three things I needed/wanted to buy at the supermarket. Having remembered them, I was determined not to forget them. Lacking paper and pen, the obvious answer was a mnemonic (a word which I am reasonably confident Americans spell "nemonic", and good on them if they do: that "m" at the front completely buggered me while I was trying to do a crossword the other day; incidentally, I think they're called "crosswords" because someone has overheard the language people like me use when the crossword setters use words such as "mnemonic"... but I digress).
The mnemonic (damn this word) I used was DFT - with D, F and T standing for the three items I wanted/needed to buy.
I went to the supermarket, and remembered the mnemonic! I was so pleased with myself. Then I tried to remember what D, F and T stood for, and couldn't recall any of them. Not one of the three.
I wandered about, aimlessly meandering down the aisles buying things beginning with the letters D, F and T - things I didn't really need, and certainly didn't want - just in case they might be the things I had planned to buy. But they weren't. I knew this in my heart, even though I couldn't prove that it was so.
I have just checked to see whether Wikipedia might have anything interesting to say on the subject of forgetfulness. It does: there is a short article, which has been tagged as requiring further editing. It has been tagged for 13 months.
It would seem that they have forgotten about it.
Have a nice whatever the name for the diurnal cycle is called. (I forget.)Attached Image (viewed 132 times):
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David Harcourt
Administrator
| Joined: | 31 Dec 1969 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 1127 |
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Posted: 4 Sep 2006 12:15 am |
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So I went off to see what the Alzheimer's Association had to say about brain maintenance.
It says that I and other decrepit members of society should be making what it calls "brain-healthy life choices", and names four of these:
* Stay mentally active
Mentally stimulating activities strengthen brain cells and the connections between them, and may even create new nerve cells.
* Remain socially involved
Social activity not only makes physical and mental activity more enjoyable, it can reduce stress levels, which helps maintain healthy connections among brain cells.
* Stay physically active
Physical exercise is essential for maintaining good blood flow to the brain as well as to encourage new brain cells. It also can significantly reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes, and thereby protect against those risk factors for Alzheimer's and other dementias.
* Adopt a brain-healthy diet
Research suggests that high cholesterol may contribute to stroke and brain cell damage. A low fat, low cholesterol diet is advisable. And there is growing evidence that a diet rich in dark vegetables and fruits, which contain antioxidants, may help protect brain cells.
These sound like sensible recommendations for anyone at any age to me. You can read more about this at the following website:
http://www.alz.org/
which is another site I must add to The Unscrambled Web.
Incidentally, there is a cafe just down the road from me where they serve Meals That Kill, the most popular of which is fried chicken and chips/fries. Large Maori and Pacific Island gentlemen and ladies seem to be particularly fond of this cuisine, and can be seen at the pavement tables every day eating as much as any sensible person should contemplate eating in a week.
But, and this is the strangest thing, there is always something left on the plate amidst the detritus of chicken bones: the slice of fresh tomato which the cafe serves with most meals, presumably because of its colour.
I have often wondered but never had the impertinence/foolhardiness to ask one of these enormous people whether they appreciate that the only thing on their plates which they disdain to eat is also the only thing which is not injurious to their health.
But if they knew this, would it make a difference?
I think I should be told.
Attached Image (viewed 132 times):
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giraffeinfall
Member
| Joined: | 31 Dec 1969 |
| Location: | Australia |
| Posts: | 191 |
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Posted: 4 Sep 2006 12:52 pm |
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THE SENILITY PRAYER
Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway,
the good fortune to run into the ones I do,
and the eyesight to tell the difference.
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