Dear Crabby,
I can’t seem to remember anything anymore! I keep forgetting things all the time. Do you know of any tried and true methods that I could use to improve my memory?
Sincerely, Ida Noe
Dear Ida Noe,
That is one of life’s greatest questions for those in my generation. It seems that as time goes on, my memory gets worse and worse. I think back to 20 or 30 years ago when I was taught to do things like tie a string on my finger, or write a letter on my hand in order to remember something. Those things seemed to work at first, but usually by the next day or so I couldn’t remember why I had that silly string on my finger. The big problems started happening when I needed to start taking daily medications. At first I
had a pill that I was to take in the mornings to help give me energy and wake me up. Then they added a pill that would help me sleep at night and calm me down. A while later they added some pain killers that would take the edge off a sore back that I struggled with. A few months later they gave me a pill that helped me go to the bathroom more regularly. Well, I was just trying to go off my memory as to when to take all these pills, how many to take, and at what time of day they should each be taken. If I crossed the wrong ones, which I did quite a bit more than once, I ended up sleeping most of the day and barely waking up in time to go to the bathroom yet again, which was difficult due to my back hurting too much to get out of bed. What a mess! So my wife finally got me this pill organizer that’s labeled for Monday through Sunday and and includes am and pm dividers. This has been a life saver, as long as I remember what day it currently is! As far as important dates like birthdays and anniversaries, I have that covered. I told my daughter that if she wants to remain in my will, she is to call me the day before each of these important dates and give me a heads up. I haven’t missed one in years! The best advice I can give you is to learn good techniques, surround yourself with good people, and hope until it hurts that you don’t mix up that bathroom pill with that sleeping pill – that never has a happy ending; trust me! Well, good luck and happy remembering!
Sincerely, Dear Crabby
Stuck in a rut? Need some advice from a biased old baby-boomer? Ask DearCrabby@RochesterMedia.com
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