WELL, THANK GOODNESS FOR THAT.

“Our brains don’t remember everything,
but maybe what they remember is enough.”
Judith Baxter, Blogger and friend.

Do you occasionally –

Forget the names of friends or even family members
Can’t remember where you put something
Go into a room and forget why you were going there
Spend time searching for your glasses or car keys?

Unfortunately, this happens to me and many of my friends. And if you answer yes then according to Professor Bruno Dubois, Director of the Institute of Memory and Alzheimer’s Disease (IMMA) at La Pitié-Salpêtrière – Paris Hospitals, then what you are suffering from is “Anosognosia” or temporary forgetfulness.

According to the Professor, it often happens to people 60 years and older who complain that they are losing their memory. “The information is always in the brain, it is the “processor” that is lacking.”

Furthermore, he says, “If anyone is aware of their memory problems, they do not have Alzheimer’s.” Phew, that is good news!!

And according to the good professor,

“After 60 years most people have such a difficulty, which indicates that it is not a disease but rather a characteristic due to the passage of years.
Many people are concerned about these oversights hence the importance of the following statements:

1.”Those who are conscious of being forgetful have no serious problem with memory.”
2.”Those who suffer from a memory illness or Alzheimer’s, are not aware of what is happening.””

His final words to us all (or those like me who are lucky enough to be over 60) –

“The more we complain about memory loss, the less likely we are to suffer from memory sickness.”

And Winnie the Pooh says
“If people are upset because you’ve forgotten something,
console them by letting them know you didn’t forget,
you just weren’t remembering.”

And Audrey Hepburn says
“I heard a definition once: Happiness is health and a short memory!
I wish I’d invented it because it is very true.” 

That’s it from a grey almost winter’s day here in New Zealand.

JB May 27, 2022

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