Brain fade

I need to take up crosswords. I’ve heard that working puzzles can be beneficial to your brain, help to slow the effects of aging, like forgetfulness. This is something that has started to plague me more and more recently. Unless I follow a prescribed pattern of behavior or a written list of activities that I can cross off, one by one, I am likely to forget something.

Here are some recent examples, all within the past week. Coincidence? Or a pattern of premature senior moments masquerading as brain fade?

Misplaced driver’s license. Not the first time in my life I’ve lost one, but this time it simply vanished from my possession. All by itself. Nothing else from my purse is gone. I had to spend over two hours at the DPS office the other day to apply for a replacement. That was some fun.

Misplaced purse. Today I had to enlist the assistance of three loved ones in search of my purse. It was sort of funny that when I announced I had lost track of it, I faced a smattering of questions: did I put it here, did I put it there? As if I knew the answer. Right. Turned out to be indoors, placed in an unfamiliar spot that was oddly camouflaged. Happy ending with very little aggravation. What a relief.

Medicine dosage mishap. This is usually not a problem. Taking prescribed medicine is habitual. But being away from home sort of disrupts those home-based habits. Truth is, I cannot remember whether I took my daily dosage earlier or not. So I just took what might be second pill this evening. Or it might be the correct daily dose. Don’t know. Don't remember.

Better pass me that puzzle, quick!