A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste

And I realize more and more every day, how much of mine has been wasted. How badly I miss the good parts that are slipping away. Oh the things I worked so hard to learn and then just let slip away. Just this week, a Question of the Day, reminded me of the second year of Calculus and I said to Gene, “it is all gone. And do you realize how hard I studied to make an A in Organic Chemistry?” Of course, he tried to console me and tell me my brain is now full of all the other things I have learned in 50 years that has taken its place, like all the names of my plants. It didn’t work.

From Two Years Ago. It is worse now! Have spent two days trying to remember the name of an old friend. As I read this to Gene, I tell him how long I have been trying to think of my friend’s name and it just came to me.

For those of you my age or older, I know you will understand this. For those of you younger, don’t laugh, your day is coming. At our house we play a lot of charades. Not on purpose but because I cannot remember my words, so I act them out. Mid-sentence they are just gone. Names are even worse. Remember them in the middle of the night. So yesterday Gene and I went out to eat. Get seated across from a table with a younger couple and 3 sweet little boys. Ages 12, 9 and 5. You know I have a soft spot for little boys so I noticed. And then it happened! The Dad looks over at Gene and says, “Hello Mr. Harris, have you retired?”. I am looking at Gene and I realize he has no idea who this guy is and I am looking back at him as he says he retired in March 2019 and went back part-time in May 2019. And I am smiling because I know Gene doesn’t know who he is talking to and it is funny. And then Gene says, “and do you know my wife” and the guy looks at me and says, “oh yes, I know Kathy”. Oh shoot! It ain’t funny anymore. I am looking at the wife and thinking I don’t know her but the guy looks familiar but from where. I haven’t worked in 18 years so how does someone as young as this guy know the two of us if not through work. We sit at our table and do our best to think who he could be. After they have finished eating, Gene just says OK, I admit it, I have no idea where I know you from. and the guy says I worked in the Marion office and in Tazewell. Then Gene says and you remember Kathy who hasn’t worked in 18 years and he says yes, I worked there right out of high school, 2001-2004. He asks about all the folks he remembers but never tells us his name. Gene says he will have that figured out today because he is going to talk to everyone at work until he figures it out. lol Sometimes I think I should just speak to everyone, shake their hand, introduce myself and apologize if we have already met.