I'm more forgetful now. The other day I forgot to take my house keys with me when we walked Dawn. Luckily Janet had her keys with her, but it was a reminder that I need to be even more methodical than I already am. It's important to keep your mind sharp as you grow older. I remember watching my Dad descend into senility in his later years while thinking that I wasn't going to let this happen to me.
I don't think you can prevent the inevitable, but I do think it is possible to postpone things for a while. Eating healthy food and getting plenty of exercise can do wonders for an aging body. The mind is a little trickier though. Is it better to remember the past, or is a mind unencumbered with a ton of old baggage healthier? Is knowledge cumulative, or should you wipe the slate clean and be receptive to new things?
I wonder about all this as my memory banks slowly become scrambled. I don't know if your brain can only hold so much, or if your memories remain forever and just become lost over time. Some things only appear in dreams now. There are a few recurring dreams that I genuinely can't decide whether they really happened.
I'm always putting my brain through its paces when I walk. I'll pick out a specific rock or tree and always try to account for it when I pass. I count ducks and try to remember the names of flowers and trees. There are hundreds of objects in the park that I have committed to memory, but it is surprising how often I'll forget about them. If I'm daydreaming, an entire mile can go by and I won't notice anything. It is a very rare walk when I can remember my entire list.
There is a large sailboat anchored out in the lake and I always try to notice when it is exactly perpendicular to me. There will always be a point when I am looking exactly at the bow or stern of this boat. The position of these encounters changes from day to day and I've learned to estimate wind speed from how quickly the boat turns in the water. I used to try and keep my eyes agile by alternately focusing on something very close and then turning my vision to something very far away. Unfortunately, that ship has sailed. My distance vision is still good, but my close up vision is shot.
It's interesting watching Dawn while we walk. She has a mind of her own. Now that she knows her way around, I've noticed that she likes to choose her own route. When we come to a fork in the trail, I like to keep her on a loose leash to see which direction she'll choose. Often I am surprised. What is going through that dog's mind? Dawn will always follow us when Janet and I are leading the way, but she will make her own decisions when left to her own devices. She is a very smart dog.
This week has gone quickly. The trash is out on the curb again and my supply of fresh fruit is almost gone. Tomorrow it's time to make my signature omelette again. I edited a bunch of pictures to send to Sky and Telescope today. Eventually the magazine will need them. I just need to remain patient.
Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day |
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