Monday, February 9, 2009

Quick! Where is the Red Light on a Signal?



How observant are you? I know I am oblivious. It is embarrassing. Things that you see every day do you really notice? Kind of like when a guy shaves his beard or mustache and you don't notice. I am so bad at that.

I have a memory book by Harry Lorayne that says the first trick to a good memory is to observe, to see, to actually notice because how can you remember what you don't really notice or see? Like when you forget the name of a person you just met. Did you really pay attention to the name? Did you really? Sometimes I can remember that a person is someone whose kids went to school with my kids, we used to be on PTA together, or maybe our kids even played together and were friends, but I will not remember their name~! Or the feeling that a name is just on the tip of your tongue. My sister-in-law and I were trying to remember the name of the actress who starred in "Walk the Line", the movie about Johnny Cash. We both knew she was blonde and we thought it started with an R but we sat there driving ourselves nuts trying to remember. I finally had to call Teddy Bear who justifably thought her mom had gone crackers. Reese Witherspoon. It was a total hit your head with the palm of your hand moment. How could you forget? Where on earth did that tidbit of information get filed that its retrieval was so hard?

I have always said there is a button on my rear end for memory. I can be sitting in my office, think of something I need to get or do upstairs. I get up, go upstairs, stand there, walk around, think hard, get totally mad at myself because for the life of me I have no idea why I even got up~! I stomp downstairs, sit down, and damn if suddenly I now remember why I got up. I have looked carefully. There is no switch on my butt for memory but why is it as soon as I sit down I remember??

His memory book is fun and I think I am going to try his techniques. It would be fun to memorize stuff even if it was totally ridiculous stuff. Presidents and Vice-Presidents, elections, dates in history, the states in alphabetical order. Can you think of things you would want to memorize so you can pull them out of your a$$? He has a way to memorize dates, months, numbers, everything.

I think the red light is a the top by the way? Quick, look at your watch. Is the number 6 a numeral, roman numeral, or just a line? Okay, smart ass, now what time is it?

7 comments:

Karen Carter said...

Gosh I need that book! My memory is shot! The only thing I retain is water. I am a mess!
I agree red is on top but now I want to go google and see xoxo Karen~

Happy Hour...Somewhere said...

I think I am going to bring it to book club. Maybe if we all get good, we can take our show on the road~!

Jeanne said...

Wow. That kid is amazing, and give his mom HUGE props for not letting him get away with anything.

Let me know how the books works! Would love to hear about it first hand.

Happy Hour...Somewhere said...

I know, I loved the kid and his mom. Can you imagine what is going on in his brain?!! I really need to work for a neurologist--I love all kinds of things like this. Oliver Sacks is another one of my favorite authors.

Jeanne said...

Oh and BTW Derek Fisher (point guard for the Lakers) has a daughter who has this same disease. He had been playing for Utah when she was dx'd and asked to be let out of his contract (way more $ than he makes now) so he could move and resign with a team in a city where his daughter could receive the best care. She is a twin, and her twin had to also undergo the tx for it, just in case. Very aggressive and nasty CA.

Happy Hour...Somewhere said...

How sad. But you gotta love a man who will do that for his family. How old are his girls?

Jeanne said...

Girl and a boy, and that was about two years ago when they were very little - perhaps 18 months or so. Nope, she was 10 months old. Follow the link for the story.

http://www.thecancerblog.com/2007/05/12/utah-jazzs-derek-fisher-fights-for-daughters-life/