THE AGONY OF FORGETTING SOMETHING
Posted by Tim Bryce on August 10, 2021
BRYCE ON LIFE
– It’s the little things that will drive you crazy.
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As I grow older I find I am starting to forget things in my daily walk through life. They’re mostly small things, but they certainly get under my skin. For example, I keep a small notepad in the kitchen to record things I need to pick up at the supermarket; you know, milk, eggs, bread, etc. I dutifully take the list with me to the store. As I browse the aisles, I also keep my eyes open for other items I might need. In other words, I do not rush through the store. Nevertheless, no sooner as I get home and unload the groceries, I discover there are a couple of items I have somehow forgotten. This drives me bonkers and I inevitably return to the store afterwards to pick up the missing items. The ladies at the register in the checkout lines know me well and often kid me, “See you tomorrow,” as I exit the first time.
Once I happened to forget my wallet, causing me to make a mad-dash home to get my billfold. Does this just happen to me or are others afflicted with this problem? I also have forgotten things at a hardware store, a favorite place for me to visit. I go there to get one item, become sidetracked by other things and totally forget the principal reason I went there, thereby forcing me to get back in my car and return. Oy!
In my case, I’m particularly confounded to forget something as my professional background was in the area of Information System design where I was intimate in building massive systems, involving thousands of pieces and parts, such as business processes, procedures, programs, modules, inputs, outputs, files, records, and data elements. To be successful in this field you can ill-afford to forget anything, regardless of its size.
I quickly learned if you forget something in systems or any other manufactured product, it will cost you dearly later down the road. Consequently we employed such techniques as architectural blueprints, Bill of Material Processing (BOMP), and Materials Resource Planning (MRP), all of which is used to record components and design decisions.
Today though, I worry about forgetting such simple things as a head of lettuce, laundry detergent, garbage bags, light bulbs, toiletries, napkins, and a variety of other things. As someone who was responsible for thousands of components, the thought of forgetting these mundane items is a source of madness.
To me, forgetting something at the store is on a par with losing your keys, garage door opener, the TV changer, or your phone, all of which can have an adverse effect on your personality. That simple nagging feeling you have forgotten something plays on your nerves. As you get older, it gets worse as you start to forget words, names, and birthdays. As an aside, women tend to remember birthdays and anniversaries better than men. In contrast, men can tell you the make, model and year of every car they’ve ever owned; women haven’t a clue, nor could care less.
After many years of using state-of-the-art technology to track complexity, I am now left with nothing but a scratch pad and a lot of frustration. Maybe I should tie strings to my fingers to remind me. Then again, with my luck, I would cut off the circulation to my fingers causing nerve damage.
Again, is it only me who forgets such things?
Keep the Faith!
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Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com
For Tim’s columns, see: timbryce.com
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hnunn47yahoocom said
I agree with you Tim about forgetting things being awful and frustrating, especially if one has Alzheimers.
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Tim Bryce said
A D.L. of Palm Harbot, Florida wrote…
” I read your blog on memory. You are not alone. There is only so much information our brain will hold and then it starts to fall out! We tend to remember the important stuff. I keep lists also!”
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Tim Bryce said
A J.W. of Georgia wrote…
“I have found that the older I get the more I forget, too. I have very similar “forgets” as you. I just figure that the ole brain is getting overloaded with useless facts that clutter up the synapses that send words to my mouth or thoughts of remembrance . Now a days, I can’t remember crap. Hence note pads are an assist.
Try to have a great day——if you remember two,to,too(?)”
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David Paine said
You asked so I’ll tell you…yes I often forget the same things. I did once forget my wallet and found myself speechless at the grocery checkout. I can walk into a room for something, get distracted, and have to retrace my steps to remember what I was looking for. My wife is younger but even worse than me with shopping, often gets half what we want. So now we always maintain a list.
Perhaps unlike some men, I am very good with names and dates. It’s a professional skill that impresses some people, thank God because not much else sets me apart LOL! As a boy I made a point of trying to remember things, places, and experiences, so I guess that stayed with me.
David M. Paine
“My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me.” – Henry Ford
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