I’ve mentioned this before, but I forget things a lot. Or maybe I have a problem focusing/concentrating. Or both. I’m getting a little worried and perhaps somewhat frustrated.
Regularly, on my way to work, I’ll get a half block away from my house and then I can’t remember if I’ve locked my door and I need to circle back to check (only once had I actually forgotten to do so). I need to consciously remember the feeling of holding my keys in my hand to be sure.
I’ll be in the middle of a conversation and I’ll completely forget what I was going to say next, sometimes in mid-sentence. As I’m listening to someone talk, I need to frequently remind myself of things I want to say.
Someone will ask to see me for a question at work. I’ll tell them I’ll be with them as soon as I finish an email I’m writing. By the time I finish my email, I’ve forgotten that I even spoke to them.
I’ll sit down at my computer with the intention of posting something on the site and only remember to do so an hour later.
On more than one occasion, I’ve forgotten how old I am and had to do the math to remember.
I’ll kick myself for forgetting to do something important on my turn in a game, and by the time it’s back to my turn, I’ll again forget to do that same thing.
At night, I need to leave a note for myself to remember to go to the ATM in the morning so I’ll have money to eat at the cafeteria. Or to go buy my monthly bus pass at the beginning of the month. At least part of the appeal of riding my bike to work is that I don’t need to remember to buy the pass.
The other day I punched out from work as I do every day and headed downstairs. By the time I got to the front door, I couldn’t remember if I’d punched out, so I had to go back upstairs to check. I remembered on my way home that I’d forgotten to get back to someone who wanted to see me. I got home and apparently from the time it took me to circle from the backyard to the front yard I forgot that I needed to bring my bike in because when I went to leave the next morning I saw it still in the back yard. As someone who’s had two bikes stolen, I was relieved that it was still there. It’d be funny if these things didn’t happen so often.
I’m 39 years old (I didn’t have to do the math today because it’s been more recently in my mind, but I did so anyway). If things are this bad now, I’m not very confident about what things will be like when I’m 60 (assuming I make it to that age).
On the other hand, I’m capable of remembering a lot of procedural stuff for work. I have clear memories of moments from my childhood. I can recite my favorite scenes from movies and TV shows almost verbatim. I can remember forgetting all these things. My brain is capable of holding and retrieving information. Maybe I’m just absent-minded.