Showing My Age

This summer, when it was so dang hot, I was scrolling through my Dish channels trying to find something to watch and discovered FETV. It has reruns of a bunch of the shows I watched when I was much younger, elementary and middle school days. Bewitched, Perry Mason, Wild, Wild West, I Dream of Jeannie, and a whole bunch more. Instantly, I'm transported back to a much simpler time and I can feel my whole being just relax. Unfortunately, the theme songs from all these shows, somehow embedded in my memory, come back and get stuck in my head. Almost all of them are just music, no words. Whew. Somehow that makes it better.

I really like taking these trips down memory lane. I loved Bewitched so much I actually pretended to be sick so I could lay on the couch and watch it and all the other daytime shows. Unfortunately, my mom was pretty smart so it didn't work very many times. And I was pretty healthy kid so I had to be happy with after school shows like Hogan's Heroes and F Troop. I wish those were on FETV.

Lately, I've been a wee bit concerned about my memory. Having a parent with Alzheimer's tends to do that. I just don't pull up word to describe something like I used to. Didn't even have to think about it. The right word just spewed out. I think I took it for granted because now I have moments where I stop mid-sentence, a word hanging at the tip of my brain. It's SO frustrating! The more frustrated I get, the worse it gets to where I just stop talking. Maybe that's a good thing....

Actually, I've come to realize the rest of my short term memory seems to be in tact so this word forgetting thing is a sign I need to take a breath. Maybe more than one. Let my thoughts unravel slowly so the lines of thinking straighten out and connect instead of getting sidetracked and forgetful. It's okay to just breathe and not keep trying to force a word off the cliff of my very full brain.

One of my favorite ways to just breathe is to take the dogs out for a walk. I am very fortunate to live where I do because we go places we don't need a leash or poop bags. Watching them explore a dry river bed or follow elk trails while I huff and puff behind and try not to trip or pick up every interesting rock along the way is me in my Happy Place. I don't move fast but I don't have to. The arthritis in my knee and my broken toe remind me to suck it up and enjoy the pace. What's the hurry?

Maybe this is more about feeling my age than showing it. Either way, I'm channeling another adage from the old days because I'm going to just keep on truckin'.