We Forget

As I get older, I’ve noticed my memory is not what it once was. Nothing big. Just little things, mostly. I’ve never been good with names. Someone can tell me their name and it is gone within minutes. 

In the first couple of notes of a song, I can tell you the band, the name of the song, who is doing the singing, and most likely, who wrote it. This applies to 60s rock and roll, mostly, but I’m pretty good with modern country, too. I can tell a story about how the song came about and such, but my daughters and wife usually just roll their eyes at me. So, I tell the story anyway. I can do the same with movies I’ve watched over and over, too. 

But lately, things like that get fuzzy. If given time, I can come up with it, though. My brothers complain about the same thing- forgetting this or that. We laugh about it and life moves on. 

I mentioned my wife and I are avid fans of NCIS. On weekends and some weekdays, we watch the reruns and can know who the bad guy is and what takes place. This past weekend, there was a poignant episode from season eight featuring Bob Newhart as a former Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Walter Magnus, who was Dr. Donald Mallard — aka Ducky’s — predecessor at NCIS.

Walter showed up unannounced in the NCIS building, which was unusual to begin with, but as the episode unfolded, it became clear that he came back to retrieve memories of his life “back then.” He simply couldn’t remember where he was, or even that he lived with his daughter. He finally fessed up to Ducky that he “couldn’t remember cases and people from his past.” Ducky guessed Walter was in the throes of Alzheimer’s, or at least the beginning stages of it. The team of Ducky, Tony, McGee, and Abby helped him remember all the families he helped gain closure. It was touching and still makes me misty-eyed.

My sister Betty suffered from Lewy body dementia, and she passed away from it several years ago. One time long before she was diagnosed, she and her husband came to Virginia to visit with us, and in a quieter moment, she said to me, “Joe, sometimes I think I’m losing my mind.” I laughed, gave her a hug and said, “You’re fine and I love you.” I’m afraid I minimized her concern or at the very least didn’t recognize her concern, and I still beat myself up about that.

My wife has a very dear loved one who has short-term memory issues. In one phone call, this loved one will ask the same question two and three times. Kim answers without any hitch or delay, and will repeat the same story over and over. I know it hurts her, but Kim is stoic about it. 

I am not suffering from Alzheimer’s nor am I suffering from Lewy body dementia, and I don’t have short-term memory issues like Kim’s loved one. I’m just on the older side of life, or as I like to think of it, the backside of the mountain. Many of my friends are on the same path and place as I am, along with my brothers. It’s life, I guess. But just because others are on the same path, doesn’t make it any easier or reassuring. But like I said, it is a part of life.

My hope is that we are all patient with one another. That we take our time with those “getting up there in age” and consider that it is not only hard on others, but certainly hard on those of us who are forgetful from time to time. We live it each minute of each day. It takes a toll, not only on us, but on those around us. In many respects, we are all in this together one way or the other, or we will be eventually. God bless us all! Something to think about …

Live Your Life, and Make A Difference! 

To My Readers:

If you like what you’re reading and find a benefit from it, you can check out my other posts on my Website at https://www.jrlewisauthor.com under the Inspirational Blog tab. You can find all nine books, their descriptions, and links for purchase at the same site. I can also be found on TikTok by searching for @josephlewis5566 and on Tribal by searching for @jrauthor85 and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557592103627

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“Blaze In, Blaze Out is an over-the-top thriller. Lewis jumps you seamlessly between timelines of one exhilarating roller-coaster ride to the next.” -Authors Reading 

“Blaze in, Blaze out with its engaging plot and deep themes is a riveting novel and fast read that will keep readers in suspense and hooked till the last page.” -Literary Titan

Photo Courtesy of Joseph Lewis