A while back, I was walking here with a friend, and we were talking about looking forward to seeing some of our villagers return to open up their cottages and get ready for summer.
I started to mention a woman’s name who lives near me, and for the life of me, I couldn’t remember it!
I’ve known her for years, not well, but still …
I wracked my brain, but clearly her name had run away and was hiding around the corner, laughing at me, something that happens often.
Has this ever happened to you?
Her name is Renee, and since it’s not a common one and not in the beginning of the alphabet, I had no luck scrolling through my mind, and she wasn’t in my phone (now, she is!).
My friend reminded me of her name, and for whatever reason I suddenly knew I could remember it by linking “Renee” with “Hey, hey,” which I did when I saw her a couple of days later.
Just calling out “Hey, Renee” got me through, and although I was remembering it with two “heys,” one seemed to work fine.
Was it the humor that allowed my brain to find that phrase? It just jumped up quickly, as though it had been waiting for me say it out loud! No idea, but it’s worked several times so far.
Another friend later mentioned a woman she knows named Betty, but because she often lost that name, she pictured the cartoon character “Betty Boop” to help her, and it did!
The other hack has to do with professionals we frequent like our dentist/hair stylist/eye doctor, and normally keeping their info in our phone using their name that again seems to run away from our brain.
The simple hack?
Always file them under their profession!
I always know what I’m looking for, but not always who I’m looking for.
Dentist Dr. Larry K
Hair Kristen
Nails Henry (yup, a man)
Eye glasses Cape Optical
As I age, I realize that some parts of my brain may be getting tired (if not something way worse), so I’m doing what I can to make accommodations now, while I can. Many readers here know I continue to work as an editor, something that helps me on multiple fronts to keep my brain active.
I still walk 4 +/- miles up and down our hilly terrain most days with my pups. But I know I’m “playing on the back nine” as they say in golf, so I’m trying to find ways to accommodate changes as they occur and live my best life.
How about YOU, folks?
What kinds of hacks are you using to help you remember people’s names, or other things in your life?
How are YOU adapting to aging successfully?
