Memory
15/07/25 02:16
There is a trope we often repeat at our house when a trip to the grocery store is needed. I’ll say, “I can remember three things, but if there are four or more, I need a list.” It seems to be true. Although most trips to the grocery store involve more than three items, there are times when there is just one or two things that were forgotten on a recent shopping trip or that we have consumed at a greater rate than anticipated. For example, if our grandchildren stop by for lunch, we might make sandwiches and use as much bread in one meal as Susan and I use in a week. There are two tiny grocery stores just a few blocks from our home, and a larger supermarket-style store about five miles away. Unless we need a lot of groceries, I often ride my bike to any of those stores.
The thing about my claim that I can remember three things, but need a list if there are more, is that it has been true for a long time, for all of our married life. It doesn’t apply to just groceries. I keep all kinds of lists. I have a task list related to my writing projects and a different one for household chores I want to accomplish. I keep lists of possible ideas for essays for my journal, of prompts for poems I hope to write, and of occasions of prayer. I keep lists on paper and also on an application on my smartphone. We have a running joke about keeping a list of the lists we have so that we don’t forget one. Most of the time, if one of my lists goes missing, the items on the list are retrieved and added to other lists. Then, when an old list is discovered, it is no longer needed.
Another practice I have when it comes to lists is that when a list gets short with most items crossed off, I will consolidate the items into a new list, sometimes combining with items from other lists, sometimes adding additional items to the list from my memory.
I was interested and a bit relieved to read an article about Natasha Rajah, who is a psychology professor at Toronto Metropolitan University. Her research indicates that the ability to retain memory remains intact in old age. In the article, she said that the use of lists can help improve memory.
At age 72, I am certain that my memory is not as good as it once was. However, I am unsure when the decline began. I often joke that I reached the peak of my intellectual powers at age 25, but that joke is a bit of self-deprecation about my overconfidence and inflated ego when I was in my mid-20s. I’ve developed a modicum of humility since. I may not be more or less intelligent, but I am more able to admit my mistakes. It turns out, however, that there is evidence that there are a few mental powers that do reach their peak in a person’s mid-twenties. The prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain important for encoding and retrieving memories, does not become fully developed until a person reaches their mid-twenties. It declines with age and shrinks slightly over time. This process begins around the age of 30. Peak prefrontal cortex function occurs between the ages of 24 and 30 for most people. Maybe I was smarter back then.
However, I am not aware of a specific point when my memory began to decline. I do notice some signs of aging. I find it harder to memorize certain things than I used to when I was younger. I frequently memorize portions of scripture or story outlines for preaching. When I was very young, I could memorize lines for a play and recall them later with ease. Now, when I want to learn something, I generally use the technique of writing it out over and over as opposed to just reading it. This may be due, in part, to having accumulated a lot of memories. For example, I’ve read three or four times as many books now as I did at age 25. I’ve met many more people and registered many more names in my memory. I’ve opened more computer accounts and learned more passwords. I’ve had more addresses and memorized house numbers. There is more information stored in my brain than was once the case.
I often struggle to access a particular memory. A memory might include specific details such as the name of an individual, the order of events, or the location of an event. The metaphor for this type of memory is “tip of the tongue.” I know the memory is there, but I can’t recall it in the moment. Often stopping forcing the memory, relaxing, and even shifting to another task will allow the memory to surface. Those are memories that continue to exist, but sometimes I cannot access them at the moment I want them. I’m pretty sure that this phenomenon is a bit frustrating to family members and friends who are much younger than I. When I am with people around my age, I find a lot of sympathy for those momentary lapses of memory.
It is good to know that brain researchers agree that people with healthy brains maintain the ability to form new memories and learn new skills. I am sure that belonging to writing and poetry groups is helping me develop my skills as a poet and essayist.
Psychologists emphasize that our brains are not independent from the rest of our bodies. Our brains are not limited to the physical organ contained in our skull. They are connected to a complex network of nerves throughout our bodies. A healthy body leads to a healthy mind. This is not to say that a physical disability always results in a mental disability. Instead, our brains are dependent on circulation. Healthy lungs and a healthy heart are required to keep the brain functioning. I have noticed that when I struggle with a memory, taking a walk or going for a bike ride can help me move past an impasse and recall what I need.
I plan to teach myself to accurately remember five items without a list when I ride my bike to the grocery store. I think it is an achievable goal even at 72 years old.
The thing about my claim that I can remember three things, but need a list if there are more, is that it has been true for a long time, for all of our married life. It doesn’t apply to just groceries. I keep all kinds of lists. I have a task list related to my writing projects and a different one for household chores I want to accomplish. I keep lists of possible ideas for essays for my journal, of prompts for poems I hope to write, and of occasions of prayer. I keep lists on paper and also on an application on my smartphone. We have a running joke about keeping a list of the lists we have so that we don’t forget one. Most of the time, if one of my lists goes missing, the items on the list are retrieved and added to other lists. Then, when an old list is discovered, it is no longer needed.
Another practice I have when it comes to lists is that when a list gets short with most items crossed off, I will consolidate the items into a new list, sometimes combining with items from other lists, sometimes adding additional items to the list from my memory.
I was interested and a bit relieved to read an article about Natasha Rajah, who is a psychology professor at Toronto Metropolitan University. Her research indicates that the ability to retain memory remains intact in old age. In the article, she said that the use of lists can help improve memory.
At age 72, I am certain that my memory is not as good as it once was. However, I am unsure when the decline began. I often joke that I reached the peak of my intellectual powers at age 25, but that joke is a bit of self-deprecation about my overconfidence and inflated ego when I was in my mid-20s. I’ve developed a modicum of humility since. I may not be more or less intelligent, but I am more able to admit my mistakes. It turns out, however, that there is evidence that there are a few mental powers that do reach their peak in a person’s mid-twenties. The prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain important for encoding and retrieving memories, does not become fully developed until a person reaches their mid-twenties. It declines with age and shrinks slightly over time. This process begins around the age of 30. Peak prefrontal cortex function occurs between the ages of 24 and 30 for most people. Maybe I was smarter back then.
However, I am not aware of a specific point when my memory began to decline. I do notice some signs of aging. I find it harder to memorize certain things than I used to when I was younger. I frequently memorize portions of scripture or story outlines for preaching. When I was very young, I could memorize lines for a play and recall them later with ease. Now, when I want to learn something, I generally use the technique of writing it out over and over as opposed to just reading it. This may be due, in part, to having accumulated a lot of memories. For example, I’ve read three or four times as many books now as I did at age 25. I’ve met many more people and registered many more names in my memory. I’ve opened more computer accounts and learned more passwords. I’ve had more addresses and memorized house numbers. There is more information stored in my brain than was once the case.
I often struggle to access a particular memory. A memory might include specific details such as the name of an individual, the order of events, or the location of an event. The metaphor for this type of memory is “tip of the tongue.” I know the memory is there, but I can’t recall it in the moment. Often stopping forcing the memory, relaxing, and even shifting to another task will allow the memory to surface. Those are memories that continue to exist, but sometimes I cannot access them at the moment I want them. I’m pretty sure that this phenomenon is a bit frustrating to family members and friends who are much younger than I. When I am with people around my age, I find a lot of sympathy for those momentary lapses of memory.
It is good to know that brain researchers agree that people with healthy brains maintain the ability to form new memories and learn new skills. I am sure that belonging to writing and poetry groups is helping me develop my skills as a poet and essayist.
Psychologists emphasize that our brains are not independent from the rest of our bodies. Our brains are not limited to the physical organ contained in our skull. They are connected to a complex network of nerves throughout our bodies. A healthy body leads to a healthy mind. This is not to say that a physical disability always results in a mental disability. Instead, our brains are dependent on circulation. Healthy lungs and a healthy heart are required to keep the brain functioning. I have noticed that when I struggle with a memory, taking a walk or going for a bike ride can help me move past an impasse and recall what I need.
I plan to teach myself to accurately remember five items without a list when I ride my bike to the grocery store. I think it is an achievable goal even at 72 years old.
