Posted 7/16/20
“And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the Lord shut him in.” –Genesis 7:16 (We need rain, but not THIS MUCH…)
As a reminder, this series is going through the warning signs of dementia found at this link: LINK
Are you a golfer? I am decidedly NOT a golfer, but I do sometimes find myself on the course flailing away like a rabid horse swings his tail at namesake flies. One time I was at a nearby course and on the first tee I took a full swing, but my club head turned and I hit the ball between my own knees (through the wicket as they say in baseball)…and it struck my cart behind me and ricocheted back and hit me in the small of the back. That was the first shot of the day and the rest really didn’t improve a heck of a lot.
Yesterday I golfed yet again. Proverbs 26:11 comes to mind… I have a yearly golf or pool match with my dad and brother and the winner keeps the chicken trophy for another year (picture forthcoming). I lost yesterday. As I posted on Facebook last night:
“We had a great round of golf tonight!! It was our annual battle for the chicken statue. My dad and my brother were stinking ringers (they practiced!!) and I lost the trophy for 2020…but there is always next year! BTW…it is kind of a lame-o sport. I shot a 60…apparently just a couple away from the best the so-called best golfer, Tiger Woods, has ever managed. What makes mine so amazing is I accomplished my feat in only 9 holes, where it took Tiger a full 18 to do it. What a chump!”
Golf has never became a familiar task because I don’t do it enough. However, as I have said many times, if you have one good drive…one good putt…you are hooked. It reminds me of fishing in that way…sit in the sun getting bit by mosquitoes all day…. and one good fish and you are back again the next chance!
But, what if you are a practicer? You spend time daily at the course…or on the water, for that matter…early and often. Things become familiar. You develop “muscle memory”…the same muscle memory that our brain LOVES and thrives on. The same muscle memory that lets you drive to work on autopilot without having to figure out directions each time. I have written about this relaxation-loving aspect of the brain many times…search through the search box for more…but trust me…the concept is true. So, you have these many muscle memory, autopilot things…and then you start losing them. You don’t remember which club does what. You would never have to think about spraying Pam on the frying pan…then you forget. You never had to even think about when to plant potatoes…it is on St. Patty’s day, right?! Now you forget. If these start mounting up, please talk to you doc. Having a few familiar things get jumbled can be normal…but when it tarts affecting your daily living, it needs to be addressed.
A little side note is due here: Music, the arts, and foreign language learned later in life all seem to be resistant to these lapses for much longer. Part of what mom used to fool us into not seeing how bad she had gotten is how she would focus on art and especially music/singing in visits. Here is how it looked:
“Hey bro. Mom seems like her memory is slipping a little. Think everything is ok?”
“Ok sure sis…did you hear her playing piano for an hour earlier. She’s still ‘got it!””
…
Well, “got it” in the above areas isn’t the same as “got it” in daily living things…and we missed it. Don’t you miss it too.
#EndALZ
Update: All seemed fine yesterday. Unfortunately mom got a new hospice nurse this week. I am 100% certain she will be outstanding, but I HATE deviating from her routine. That is what always causes issues. Praying for a smooth transition.
Dad Joke of the Day:
“If you think it’s hard to meet new people, try picking up the wrong golf ball.” – Jack Lemmon
