Past the "what mental alertness?" (See prior blog), I now realize why everybody is frantically trying to do crosswords and get more exercise maybe eat fish, and have garlic for breakfast. Losing large chunks or memory feels like avulsion (look it up). Something I always counted on isn't seriously there any more.
I reflected and realized I'm "still" (our favorite word in old age)--"still" OK with most short-term stuff: remembering I ordered 2 cranberry juices at on-line shopping and only received one; and it just took a second to think why I found myself sitting in this chair in front of a computer screen. But the knowledge thing; especially the nouns part; I'm sad about losing that.
For example, last night it took ten minutes to think of the name for that thing in England made out of the huge rocks that when you pass it on a far highway it you see little tiny people circling the base of it and it's definitely architectural with astronomical implications that perhaps were spiritual at the time--which was a very very long time ago.
When I tried to get help from my very knowledgable (sp?) grandson, he did not know what I was talking about. Ten minutes later when the name came bubbling up, like the "It is decidedly so" message from the 8-ball, the teachable moment had passed.
