Archive for the ‘Health’ Category

I often forget stuff and I suspect that even when I was in my twenties I was equally forgetful.  The trouble is that as soon as we get to our late fifties onwards forgetfulness starts to become hugely significant.  Basically we’re all scared witless that we’re developing Alzheimer’s disease just because we can’t remember the name of the actress who played Debra Winger’s mother in ‘Terms of Endearment’.  Stop panicking: forgetfulness is mostly harmless and nothing more sinister.  Besides, forgetfulness can be good… what was that you were worrying about last Thursday afternoon when you were gently picking greenfly off your roses? You can’t remember, can you?

I’d love to say my hearing is as good as it always was, but it’s not. I frequently miss-hear what people are saying. At a recent party someone was (I thought) discussing the problems of having a parrot. Intrigued I started to listen. “There’s not much you can do with a parrot” (what was she hoping she could do, train it to do light household tasks?) and “a local farmer is interested in it” (even more alarming, what were the farmer’s plans, crossing it with one of his chickens so hens could tell him when they have laid an egg, or perhaps he was planning to introduce a local delicacy: ‘Parrots’ Eggs for Sale?’) Of course she wasn’t talking about a parrot at all, but a paddock. Far less entertaining as a topic of conversation don’t you think?