Love the Steal

I love it when I can steal and share thoughts and quotes by people more clever or wiser than I am…

I saw an episode of Blue Bloods recently and Grandpa was talking about aging and memory and compensatory techniques. When I heard on of his lines, it made me smile. I have been doing the same thing since I was hurt 26 years ago. Wanted to share…

In the episode of Blue Bloods, Grandpa told his grandson that, every morning, he awakes and recites his Social Security Number, former Badge Number, etc. So helpful!

Even those without a brain injury can likely commiserate with how easy it is to forget the myriad passwords, bank card numbers, and clue answers we have to muddle through each day just to access accounts, use an ATM, get through our phones, etc.

I learned the hard way many years ago when I was locked out of my PayPal account because I couldn’t recall the answers to my security questions. I thought, “Of course I will remember those!”

LOLOLOLOL

When it came to answering, I was locked out. Was my first car a Chevy? A Nova? A Chevy Nova?

Good God.

Since then, I regularly test myself, like Grandpa on Blue Bloods. I will recite my SS#, my driver’s license #, my bank passwords and number codes. I will recite the names of my elementary school teachers or mentally picture the homes in my childhood neighborhood and name the families I grew up with. I will spell the long names of friends I have or try to name all our states.

Every day.

I think of it as propping the doors open. Keeping the doors of my brain open and accessible.

I had a Great Aunt. Her name was Helen. Loved that woman. I recall asking her what her first husband’s name was and, in her late 70s, she told me she couldn’t recall. I thought that was really funny at the time.

Not so much, anymore.

They say “use it or lose it” and, if you are around my age, you know how true that is when it comes to muscle strenght.

But our brains need that exercise too! We need to keep turning on the lamps in all the cells of our brains where all our glorious information is stored. Keep breathing life into all the far reaches and corners or our wonderful working machines.

Hope this finds everyone well. Wishing all the Moms out there a Happy Mother’s Day weekend. Missing my Mom. Take care. xo