I Forget
I wrote a post previously about having bad memory, but that was primarily focused on my memory of events/happenings in my life. Things from the past. I want to write in this post about my recent and ongoing struggles with forgetfulness.
I feel like I'm going insane. Just the other day, I was getting ready to leave for game night (~1 hour travel) and had the following thought: I should grab a drink before I leave. All well and good. I grab my board game and my keys. Don my shoes. And walk out the door, past the bottled water, and down the hall. I go down the staircase, and as I reach the ground floor, I remember I wanted a drink... This exact scenario has happened an uncountable number of times in one form or another. I want to do X, I leave/start to do something else, and within a minute, I remember the thing I wanted.
Another day, I was at work when I had an idea. It was something that I wanted to do that evening when I was home. I even had the thought: I should write this down so I don't forget. Well my phone rang, I had the conversation I'm contractually obligated to have, and when I replaced the handset... the idea was gone. I didn't even make it to my break, let alone home before I had forgotten.
Last example. I think it's related, but not quite the same. And perhaps it points to a cause?
I am horrible with street names. I have only the vaguest sense of geographic relation when people mention nearby towns. I wasn't always this way. I have a decent grasp on the area I used to live in. It wasn't a large/complex area, so that obviously helps. But ever since I relocated, I'd never gotten a handle on the streets and neighbouring towns. For this, my initial reaction is to blame technology. Yes, I know. It's an easy target. But in an era of GPS, the need for navigation is greatly diminished. And so I suppose that my reliance on it has deteriorated my capabilities.
Perhaps this is a similar cause for my forgetfulness. Everything important is 'remembered' for me by a computer. Be it work calendar invites or smartphone notifications. I've outsourced the recall parts of my brain. I'm not quite sure what to do about it. How does one practice remembering? The good news is that I don't think it has affected my life (yet). The streets/geography matter is a bit of a nuisance at times, but I've been navigating fine without GPS. I can get there, I just can't tell you the name of the streets I took. But all the other things I've forgotten have been menial items. And it would seem I forgot to put a conclusion on this post.
Yours Truly,
[Redacted]