Forgetting
Title
Forgetting
Creator
Jacob Schlitt
Description
"When I began to write my 'memoirs' I concentrated on my earliest years." (Fragment)
Date
2015
Format
application/pdf
Type
text
Language
en
Identifier
FORGETTING
Text
FORGETTING
When I began to write my “memoirs” I concentrated on my earliest years. Then, I shifted to telling my mother’s story. After several years of dredging up history, I shifted to observations of the world around me, and descriptions of my aging process.
As I thought about this transition, I realized that I was actually forgetting large pieces of my story. Facts that I had at my fingertips were no longer within reach. And there was another phenomenon: Recent events and experiences, recent films that I have seen, and books that I have read, faded from my memory within weeks.
Something is happening to my brain. I suspect it is the same thing that is happening to the brain of a lot of older people. Most of us have commented on it. A few of us fear that it is early Alzheimers. Things that were never a problem to remember, are being forgotten. Names, dates, where you put things. Even what you call things.
I started writing this, I named it Forgetting, I put it on the desktop of my computer, and then, closed the computer. When I wanted to go back to it, I forgot that I called it Forgetting. (end of 2014)
I just opened it up, and was surprised by what I found. I had no memory of having written this. Still, when I saw Dr. Taylor a few weeks ago, March 2015, he said I am doing better than 95% of people my age.
When I began to write my “memoirs” I concentrated on my earliest years. Then, I shifted to telling my mother’s story. After several years of dredging up history, I shifted to observations of the world around me, and descriptions of my aging process.
As I thought about this transition, I realized that I was actually forgetting large pieces of my story. Facts that I had at my fingertips were no longer within reach. And there was another phenomenon: Recent events and experiences, recent films that I have seen, and books that I have read, faded from my memory within weeks.
Something is happening to my brain. I suspect it is the same thing that is happening to the brain of a lot of older people. Most of us have commented on it. A few of us fear that it is early Alzheimers. Things that were never a problem to remember, are being forgotten. Names, dates, where you put things. Even what you call things.
I started writing this, I named it Forgetting, I put it on the desktop of my computer, and then, closed the computer. When I wanted to go back to it, I forgot that I called it Forgetting. (end of 2014)
I just opened it up, and was surprised by what I found. I had no memory of having written this. Still, when I saw Dr. Taylor a few weeks ago, March 2015, he said I am doing better than 95% of people my age.
Original Format
application/msword
Collection
Citation
Jacob Schlitt, “Forgetting,” Autobiographical stories & other writing by Jacob Schlitt, accessed April 18, 2024, https://tsirlson.omeka.net/items/show/316.