Monday, August 14, 2023

Three Beautiful Things 08-13-2023: Solemn ZOOMing, Family Dinner Prep, My Slipping Powers of Memory

1. ZOOMing with Bill, Diane, and Bridgit was solemn today, but the honesty of our discussion was most admirable. As is often the case, our discussion was about life in our sixties. Diane is working her way through all that she learned from her recent cancer surgery. Bill's mother is in her eighties and her welfare presents Bill with numerous challenges, as does his own compromised health. Bridgit looks forward to retirement and is doing all she can to do superb work on her job while also dealing with her own physical challenges and keeping a caring eye on her mother. I continue to weigh what I do or don't want to do as far as treating my kidneys. 

Solemn, but not depressing. If we'd pretended like everything was peach-keen, that would have been depressing. We didn't do that.

We discussed our various difficulties and challenges honestly, without self-pity. 

2. I made some very good progress today in getting ready to host Monday's family dinner. The food is ready to cook. Aside from tomatoes I'm picking up from Carol, I have all the ingredients I need right here. I have an order in at Beach Bum Bakery that the bakery can fill. 

Stay tuned. In my next blog post, I will reveal what food kept me busy today and will occupy much of my day on Monday.

3. The reach of my memory diminishes a bit more all the time. It can be frustrating not to be able to recall titles of movies I recently watched or the details of books I've read. 

In many ways, this blog is a memory aid. Countless times I've tried to remember when certain things happened or what movies I've seen or haven't seen and going back to posts on this blog has helped fill in any number of blanks.

There is a kind of funny positive side to not remembering things the way I used to.

I enjoy putting on PlutoTV and watching reruns of the World Poker Tour tv coverage of the tournaments the WPT hosts.

Today, for example, while I worked the NYTimes Sunday crossword puzzle, I had on the 2012 Five Diamond World Poker Classic on the Vizio. 

I recognized the players at the final table. I knew I had watched this tournament play out before, probably three or four years ago.

I had no memory, however, of who won the tournament.

So, today, I enjoyed the drama of the final table and admired the skill and courage of the players as if I'd never seen it before. 

I used to remember almost everything, it seemed -- for better or worse.

I haven't completely lost my memory, that's for sure, but my memory bank account is not nearly as full as it used to be. 


No comments: