Garage A, Level 4

David asked the other day if I ever forget where I put things. I thought he had to be kidding.

He said he had been working outside on the grounds of our home and wanted to reorganize his tools but was afraid that, in the process of relocating them, he wouldn’t remember where they were when he needed them next.   

Hmmmmm...I said, “Yea, I forget sometimes 😊.”

S O M E T I M E S? What a joke! Just days before, my own reorganizing efforts threw me into a tizzy. I had to buy yet another new crochet hook because I couldn’t recall where I stored my stash of at least 20...even though at the time, I was sure I had found the “perfect” place...but, a week later, back to Michael’s Craft Store I went.

A similar situation occurred not long ago with picture frames I bought for photos of the grandkids...saw cute ones, put them away in the “perfect” place and then couldn’t find them when I needed them.  

The reality is that about 10 times a day – at a minimum – I can’t find where I put something. Does this mean I have too many things? That I think differently every day and, therefore, approach decision-making with a constantly changing perspective? That I can’t hold all that info in my head anymore? All of the above?

I was fascinated to learn after all these years of talking about almost everything, that David and I hadn’t yet discussed the tricks we’ve come up with to resolve one of our biggest challenges...to find our cars in parking lots.

He said that on our annual trip to Maine – as well as other places he travels by air – he always parks in the same garage and level at the airport so that he doesn’t have to think about where he has parked when he’s headed home.

For me, it’s the daily errands that present the biggest headache. To combat the stress of my forgetfulness, I intentionally park in the same general vicinity of places I go to regularly, like supermarkets, restaurants, doctors’ offices and so on. This works well for an easy exit, so long as the chosen spots are available. The trouble starts when they aren’t.

When I have to park in a new spot, I run the risk of walking round and round the parking lot when I’m exiting and trying frantically to find my car. Sometimes I’ll press on my key fob to activate the chirping sound so that I can follow to my car but with so many other similar sounds, that isn’t always effective given my hearing deficiencies as well. I could probably use my iPhone to help me out but fidgeting with electronics in the parking lot is going to be, well...a nightmare, given I’d first need to find my readers in my handbag.

Even though I was soooooooooo embarrassed by it at the time, I often find myself thinking about the good ‘ole days when I drove around my parents’ “Cohen for Council” enormous advertising box that was bolted down to the roof of their Delta 88 Oldsmobile back in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.  

Going shopping with that thing was absolutely the best, because I’d never have to wonder where I had parked. The sign always stood high above even the tallest of cars – no SUVs on the road back then – and truly was a driver’s dream come true.

David is convinced that 2 components are at play to explain the memory losses we experience as we age: 1 – We don’t retain as much as we were once able to, and 2 – We realize it’s easier to repeat our actions than make random decisions that require us to keep track of more details.   

As he shared his thoughts, another idea came to my mind but, by the time he was done, I had already forgotten what I was going to say.