Memory Games
My memory’s in jeopardy of growing rather fuzzy.
I can’t remember punch lines like “He wasn’t fuzzy, wuzzy?”
Quips like “Betty Botter bought a bit of bitter butter”
used to fly right off my tongue, but now they sit and flutter.
It’s true my thoughts surround me but they won’t assume an order.
It is as though instead I have become a memory hoarder
with stacks of memories piled up in my halls of memory
where perhaps I could still find them—if I had the energy.
But as is, names aren’t stacked near where my face recall is kept,
so when I meet acquaintances, I’m chillingly inept
at sorting out the names to go with their familiar faces.
This trying to put face with name sure puts me through my paces!
Somehow the very minute I recognize a face,
its name flies out the window, so I hasten up my pace
to scurry ’round the corner before they might see me.
It’s not my heart avoiding them. Just blame my memory!
The only reassurance in all this memory Hell
is that lately I have noticed others scrambling as well,
so perhaps it isn’t only me who’s exercising guile
trying to avoid my friends in the grocery aisle.
Prompts today were memory, jeopardy, surround and fuzzy. Links below:
https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2019/05/24/rdp-friday-memory/
https://fivedotoh.com/2019/05/24/fowc-with-fandango-jeopardy/
https://onedailyprompt.wordpress.com/2019/05/24/your-daily-word-prompt-surround-may-24-2019/
https://wordofthedaychallenge.wordpress.com/2019/05/24/fuzzy/
lifelessons - a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown 
Oh yes
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Sadly, you can’t always avoid it, as it happens when asking about somemone, too. Say how’s your cousin…um…uh…the one that had some kind of health…now was it heart problem…or was it Parkinson’s? And his wife is…Sarah? Sasha? Oh, S-something. How are they? I heard they moved to…ah…um… 😉
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Ah yes.. sounds familiar, Christine.
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I trust this is pure fiction, Judy. However, it brings to mind an old joke: the advantage of memory loss is that you meet new people all the time.
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Ha..Actually, the memory loss is true but not extensive..Usually people I haven’t seen in a long time, but occasionally friends..where it takes a few minutes to remember the name. Everyone i know is experiencing this so I take power in that!
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Don’t worry about it; we are all in the same boat!
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Perfect description of trying to remember names and faces. I say, “How’s the family?” This keeps me from getting caught not knowing names.
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But someone one asked me that, ‘How’s Bob?” and I had to admit he’d died eight years before.. so doesn’t always work!
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I try to honestly tell people I don’t recognize them because if I don’t, they eventually realize I’m a complete blank and don’t have any idea who they are. Which is even MORE embarrassing.
Lately, I’ve been playing online bridge — just me against the computer. Because Bridge is all about memory. Remembering the bidding, remembering what cards have been plays and how many and by whom. At first, I could barely remember what the game bid was and who was playing and who was defending. Now I can usually remember the game bid AND who is playing. I still don’t play well (I was never a great player anyway), but at least I know whose team I’m on.
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Marilyn.. my friend Marti plays bridge with people all over the world via internet. Having to post to four different prompts helps me in the same way.. just getting all the links set up and posted on the blog requires 51 different actions at a minimum and it has increased my memory and speed incredibly. Writing rhyme and meter helps as well. Funny but I never forget a word while writing but do while speaking.
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How refreshingly honest and enjoyable to us of that certain age!
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Thanks, Noreen.
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I worked in sales for many years. I used to have a terrible time with names — to the extent that I’d tell people that I needed to meet them 3 times before I’d remember their names! It doesn’t get any better now, but it doesn’t matter quite so much!
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I know.. very hard.
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I hadn’t heard that tongue twister before. Here’s a good one: The sixth sick sheikh’s sixth sheep’s sick.
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Phew. The Betty Botter one goes on for a good deal longer.
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The full tongue twister, David:
Betty Botter bought a bit of bitter butter. “But,” she said, “this butter’s bitter. I can’t put it in my batter, for if I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter. But if I buy some better butter, it will make my batter better.” So, Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter and made her batter better!
Phew. But, not as hard to say as yours, I admit. I think I found this one in a games and puzzles book my folks bought me when they took me to Mayo Clinic when I was a very little girl. They had been advised to rush me there by our local dr. because of a very strange growth in my throat. The doctors at Mayo had a very swift verdict. It was my uvula–which everyone has at the back of their throat!! Yes, our town dr. had a drinking problem but nonetheless was a very nice man.
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I’m glad Betty had a happy ending. I’m also glad we have specialists to solve the more difficult problems.
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Yes..or to reveal we haven’t any!
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