My "mental note" is broken

I used to be able to remember just about everything. I didn't need to make lists, or write myself notes, or even write things on the calendar. My mind was like a steel trap; nothing got away from it.



I have noticed a few changes as I get older.



I used to be able to go the the grocery store WITHOUT A LIST and come home with everything I needed. Now, if it is on my list, I forget it. No matter how many times I remind myself not to forget it. And if I leave my list at home, forget it. In the past few years, I used to be able to recall 90% of what was on the list, but now its a whole nother story. ( Do you ever realize that sometimes we say things that just don't look right in written form? Whole nother story? I am really rednecking it now.)





Don't mind the brief pause, I am trying to remember my other ideas for this post....















Oh yeah. Lately I find that if I don't write everything on the calendar, I forget or double schedule things. Sometimes I don't even realize the double scheduling problem until I am on my way someplace and I start to wonder, how am I going to do both? Huh.



I used to be able to make a "mental note" about something, and hold on to it forever. For instance, I would see something that needed to be done, note it in my mind, and there it would stay until said task was gotten to. Now, I try to make mental notes, but just get frustrated knowing that I should be remembering SOMETHING, but I can't remember what I was supposed to be remembering.



I have been told that as long as you realize you forgot that you were supposed to be remembering something, even if you can't remember what that something was, your ok. It's not dementia or alzhiemers. Somehow that isn't all that comforting.



Am I that close to alzhiemers?



I can't count on my memory to work like it used to, and that is sad. I am reduced to writing lists and hoping that I can remember where I put them.



And putting something in a "safe place" so I won't forget it? Yeah. Years ago, I would never forget where I put something for safekeeping. I could go years and still know where things were.



That is how I misplaced my mom's camera card. I know it is safe someplace. I just don't know where someplace is.