memory

Remember?

by Penny

b1f0e9a96abbb9fd68cc6dfd9487bc55

Getting old is real, but nature has found a way to soften the blow….. as we age, our capacity to remember things decreases. Oh, it starts off gradually. We forget where we leave our keys or misplace an item. In a conversation, we sometimes lose our train of thought, but after a bit it returns. Then retrieving someone’s name takes more effort, and so it goes. Several weeks ago, I forgot where I parked my car at the mall. Nothing too terrible, just inconvenient.

e389968afa8aea1049ac7909c16502fc

As time goes on, things take a little longer to recall. For example, at lunch, I was watching the television and eating some crackers and humus. There was a knock on the door, but before I answered, I went to look out the window to see who was there. On my way to the door, I set down the plate I was holding. After a lengthy conversation with the church people on my porch, I closed the door and proceeded back to the living-room. But where was my plate? I wandered to the kitchen, through the dining room, back to the front door, and then again to the living room. No plate! I looked at the dog. She didn’t appear to know either. It had to be here! The lid from the humus that I was eating lay alone on the kitchen counter. I even peered into the fridge. Nothing! Feeling frustrated, I sat down in front of the tv. As I retraced my steps in my mind, my eyes scanned the room. Suddenly, there it was! Sitting on the mantle above the fireplace was my uneaten snack. Well, there went 20 minutes of my life I can’t get back.

I have come to accept these little annoyances because after all, they are a fact of aging. All one can do is laugh.

The most recent memory incident happened to my friend only yesterday. It was so funny that I am still giggling. It seems that she went to the department store to buy a new bra. While there, she decided to try on the matching panties. After much decision making in the dressing room, she decided not to purchase the bra. It happened to be Wednesday, our regular pub dinner night. She arrived at the pub directly from her shopping trip. As she joined the group at our table, her eyes widened in shock. “Oh my god! I’m going to be arrested!” she blurted out. “I walked out of the store still wearing the panties I was trying on. I returned the bra, but forgot the pants.” And with that, she hoisted her dress right there at the table to reveal the price tag still securely attached to the second pair of underwear she was wearing. The entire table of girls broke into loud laughter. She was horrified! “I can’t even return them because they will know that I took them.” After a moments thought, I suggested, “Go back and buy the bra. I think you were meant to have it.” We laughed and laughed.

50634344_861410020893738_6771152985960480768_n

Life is way too short to worry about stolen underwear!

 

Thanks for reading,

Penny xo ♥

Pssst! Password?

by Penny

23418e366c11a424a735b1cd5d802bf2.jpg

Yesterday, I spent an endless amount of time trying to log into my online banking. The computer kept telling me that my password was incorrect. I persisted, but no luck. I eventually had to call the “Help” line and get assistance. My frustration level was over the top because I needed to transfer funds immediately, and it was of course past regular banking hours. It started me thinking about all the places where we need passwords today.

giphy
Why can’t I remember???

 

Growing up, the only password I ever needed was the three number combination for my high school locker. I would use the same three numbers all year, but by the end of summer vacation, I would have forgotten at least one of them necessitating the purchase of a new lock for my locker. After the second year of forgetting, my mother insisted I write it down. I guess she envisioned a draw full of unusable combination locks by the time my brother and I finished school.

The world today is controlled by passwords. For me, I think the first actual password or pin that I had to remember was connected to my first bank card. Everyone seemed so nervous of a card that was attached to all your bank funds and seemed protected by only a secret pin number. Today the world revolves around passwords.

I grew quite comfortable using my card, and took my banks advice and changed the pin number from time to time. One day while paying for groceries, I confidently slipped my card in the machine, and my mind went completely blank. I tried every pin number that I had ever had, I think. No luck! The line behind me grew longer. Others offered suggestions… your birth year, your kid’s birthday, your anniversary. Nothing worked. I was panicked and embarrassed. I had no other money  in my purse, and was not carrying my credit card. Just as I was about to give up, I took a final stab at the buttons. Eureka!

When I got home, I decided to take my mother’s advice and I wrote the pin down on a piece of paper which I slipped into the back of my wallet. I now have a small book with all the passwords that I use. Please do not let me ever lose it!

As an aging woman with questionable memory retention, passwords are most definitely a stumbling block. Think of all the things that require passwords: bank cards, credit cards, house alarms, garage openers, car door openers,  computers, online shopping sites, cell phones, internet connections, PayPal, cable companies, and many more. I just love when you are signing up for yet another service requiring a password and the instructions say ” a minimum of 8 characters, must include 1 upper case, 1 lower case, a number, and a symbol”. What the hell!!!! My mind is already on overload.

The idea of being fitted with a chip under your skin to replace all those passwords seemed absurd to me at one time, but about now, it is looking like a great alternative to taxing my memory space.

dadc49fac003d9684bbf51dbfa6a5a27   I wonder if she needs a password?

 

Thanks for reading,

Penny xo ♥