Last night, I spent 2 minutes trying to think of President Lincoln's first name.
1) I am horrible with names. Thank God for "Hey There!" and "Sup Bro?"
2) I often find myself in a room and have no idea what I am doing there. Also, I start telling a story and halfway through I realize that I have no idea what my point is.
3) I am amazing at remembering what is on simultaneously on 47 different channels, what's most likely to be at a good part where animals attack somebody's crotch, and what I should skip because of lack of boobies/swords/zombies.
4) I now keep moleskines (
www.moleskine.com) and pens everywhere. I jot down reminders when I think of things to write, letters, music, my little poems and so forth. I have them in my car, in my pocket when I go for walks, by my bedside. Otherwise, I would never remember anything.
I think that this is all a product of my mind getting sloppy. I have resolved to do something about it, and I will be attending a 10-day Vipassana (also known as Insight) meditation course in July (
www.dhamma.org). 14 hours a day of concentrating on your breath to the exclusion of all other activities is said to really focus the attention.
I am 37, and shouldn't be losing my mind just yet. I am fighting to get it back.