The bane of forgetfulness becomes inevitable if you live long enough. We decline from once-vivid recollections to problems remembering everything from names to why we entered a room.
That's been the case with me in the last several years. Thankfully, it's not serious yet. But I realize it's happening when Jeanetta reminds me we've already seen the movie we've started watching and I can't recall a single scene.
That could play to my advantage. After all, I could repeatedly watch the same film and still never know what's coming next.
It's said a diminished memory is a natural part of aging. While that is a fact, knowing doesn't make the resulting frustrations easier.
But as long as simple forgetfulness is not a sign of devastating disease such as Alzheimer's or full-blown dementia, I'll deal with the embarrassment.
Others who study this field regularly address the problem. For instance, French Professor Bruno Dubois, who directs the Institute of Memory and Alzheimer's Disease at Salpetriere Hospital, University Paris, assures: "If anyone is aware of his memory problems, he does not have Alzheimer's."
I've also read that other experts in cognition say it's common as we age to forget the names of family, or where one put something. It occurs frequently in those older than 60 who complain they are lacking memory when, in fact, the information remains in the brain; it's our "processor" with the problem.
These lapses actually have their own word: "Anosognosia" is the state of temporary forgetfulness. Half of those 60 and older exhibit symptoms of forgetfulness due to age rather than disease.
The most common cases cited were forgetting a person's name, entering a room and forgetting why, no memory of a movie title or an actor or actress' name, and searching (yet again) for keys, glasses or wallets.
Many of us naturally become concerned about such oversights. But (thankfully there is a but) those who remain conscious of their forgetfulness have no serious problem. Those suffering from an actual memory-stealing disease aren't actually aware they are. In other words, the more we complain about memory loss, the less likely we are to suffer from diagnosable memory sickness.
So there you have it, valued readers. It's not time to panic if our memory lapses at times. Although it could be wise to pick up a bottle of those much publicized and high-dollar brain-boosting pills (clearly aimed at us aging baby boomers) if we can still remember why we are at the store.
Alcohol and groceries
My adopted state of New Mexico has always held a special place in my heart and mind since I graduated from Albuquerque's Highland High School in 1965 and attended the state university there until returning to Arkansas.
So I follow events there as best I can. Lately that includes the state's Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham publicly regretting spending discretionary taxpayer money on questionable items that included $6,500 of groceries and alcohol.
The Santa Fe New Mexican daily paper reported the governor in 2020 spent close to $13,500 from a taxpayer-funded account intended for functions, events or items meant to promote the state.
The story also said former Republican governor Susana Martinez spent about $470,000 in such funds between 2011 and 2017, or an average of $68,000 a year.
Nice to see a newspaper holding its top elected leaders accountable for their actions when it comes to gulping from the public trough. I've always been one to believe every news organization should play a critical role in revealing how both parties spend tax dollars (and many more activities in the public interest).
Unfortunately, nowadays the media, often afflicted by political partisanship, fall far short of that fundamental responsibility.
Paper towels?
Inspection reports from our state Health Department wind up routinely published in the paper. I regularly read them out of curiosity over what inspectors consider serious violations. Count me as surprised by some of their efforts.
For instance, because of an inability to provide a roll of paper towels, three restaurants received critical violations.
Critical, eh? At first I found this difficult to comprehend. Then Jeanetta (who managed restaurants and bars in Springfield for 30 years) enlightened me.
She explained that failing to have paper towels available at sinks where workers wash their hands is considered "critical" because a food handler otherwise could be prone to wipe his or her hands on their unsanitary clothing before continuing to work.
What had seemed initially to me like nitpicking and an example of over-regulation turned out to be reasonable, even necessary, to preserve public health.
Yet another example of how important it is to look beneath the surface before drawing ill-informed conclusions.
Now go out into the world and treat everyone you meet exactly how you want them to treat you.
Mike Masterson is a longtime Arkansas journalist, was editor of three Arkansas dailies and headed the master's journalism program at Ohio State University. Email him at [email protected].