Forgetfullness

Loss of memory
By David Verveer
This is not about me, I NEVER FORGET ANYTHING, yes dear, I will take the trash!
Forgetfulness comes with the age, there is not much you can do about it, simply your brain which works like a computer, is not able anymore to contain the enormous quantity of information stacked, and start pushing parts of your memory into deep black corners of your brains daily operation. Before I forget, I tell you some silly old age jokes, illustrating the problem:
· An older gentleman told his grandson that the second thing that goes, when you get old, is your memory, the grandson asks, what is the first, on which granny replied, I forgot.
· Two old friends meet after many years, the one says to the other, you remember, we both run after the same girl, his friend agreed and said, I remember it clearly, but what I don’t remember, is why?
· An older man was told that he forgot to close his fly, he replied that is nothing, the trouble is when I forget to open it.
But I too, am getting older, and forgot most of those stupid jokes, thus let us get one moment serious, and discuss the problem, and please be so kind to remind me now, what was again the subject?
The grade of forgetfulness is different for any individual, and also when it starts to take effect. First , one does not realize the process, when somebody pried himself, never to forget a name, suddenly he sees a face, which he can not label with a name. This is specially irritant when you see a movie, and the film star is familiar to you, but you can not remember, from which film. With me, that is terrible annoying, as I don’t like to give in, and spend nights on placing this guy or lady. Also these things happen, when you meet somebody removed of his usual environment, I met during the Yom Kippur war in Sinai an officer, who was extremely familiar, but still we both could not recollect from where we knew each other, we tried the army, but he was much younger, we tried the neighborhood, but he lived in another place, etc., until we got fed up with trying and parted. A few months later, after I got back to the office, I suddenly saw him, and realized that he was the owner of a blueprint shop, who served our office on a daily base.
The brain does not work logical, according the filing system: first in, first out, just the opposite, one remembers things which happened 50 years ago, much better than what happened last week. In my case, I underwent in my youth, the trauma of the holocaust , that were only 3 to 5 years of my life, but I still vividly remember most pleasant memories of those days, (thank God, the bad memories I forgot and try to push back in the dim, even, when artificially, I am forced to think about those days, due to yearly memorial days.

Memory Loss With Aging: What's Normal, What's Not (copied from the website: familydoctor.org)
How does the brain store information?
Information is stored in different parts of your memory. Information stored in the short-term memory may include the name of a person you met moments ago. Information stored in the recent memory may include what you ate for breakfast.
Information stored in the remote memory includes things that you stored in your memory years ago, such as memories of childhood.
How does aging change the brain?
Beginning when you're in your 20s, you begin to lose brain cells a few at a time. Your body also starts to make less of the chemicals your brain cells need to work. The older you are, the more these changes can affect your memory. Aging may affect memory by changing the way your brain stores information and by making it harder to recall stored information. Your short-term and remote memories aren't usually affected by aging. But your recent memory may be affected. You may forget names of people you've met recently. These are normal changes.
What about when I know a word but can't recall it?
This is usually just a glitch in your memory. You'll almost always remember the word with time. This may become more common as you age. It can be very frustrating, but it's not usually serious. (end quote).

I am of course not talking about Alzheimer and other memory losing illnesses, which are tragic, and hope that soon cures are found for these, as memory is the only thing, which makes somebody so special.
To be able to put memories on paper (or in the computer) is very important, as family and descendants have the right to know the historical days and happenings, and comprehend those days, so different but also so similar to the present. Specially when efforts trying to recall and record the past, helps fighting loss of memory.
Memory means many things, personality, experience, love, fright and professionalism, without it, one is a living death.