Friday, August 17, 2001

It's long been my belief that clichés become clichés because they're true. Last entry, proof that "the kids are all right" was unearthed. Today, we find evidence that it might not be a bad idea to "never trust anyone over thirty." In fact, thirty might be too generous.

Many friends and relatives have described to me what they call "senior moments." Usually, these take the form of forgetting where they left something they were just holding, being unable to recall the name of a familiar person, or struggling to remember a common word. I've always nodded sympathetically or laughed with them, as the particular instance demanded. But in the back of my mind, there's been this nagging little worry because the same things happen to me all the time. Was I prematurely losing my memory, I would wonder?

As it happens, there was no need for me to worry. I am losing my memory, but there's nothing premature about it. If a recent study out of the University of Michigan is correct, this process generally begins at around twenty.

Once upon a time, news like this would have worried me greatly. Now, I take comfort in it. Finally, I've got confirmation that our minds are slowly but surely slipping away from each and every one of us. And that's just as it should be.

Posted @ 12:50 AM

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