ROOFTOP – Can you believe this? It’s 7:00 in the p.m. and we’ve still got lots of daylight ahead of us. Right now the direct rays of the sun are hitting so close to the Tropic of Cancer it’s not funny.
After the first day of summer, June 21, the rays will start receding and the days will get shorter. I’d tell you more, but most of you already know about the reason for the seasons, and the rest of you don’t care. I can hear you. The height and heat has not hampered my hearing.
We should’ve waited a couple of hours before climbing up here. The temperature at the moment is well past my comfort level. If I were older, I’d be cooler. When you get old, your tolerance for heat increases tremendously.
I love old people to death, but I hate visiting in their homes. The first words out of my mouth are along the lines of -- “Sweet Mother MacRae, turn on the air conditioner!”
Right now, I’m too young to be cold when it’s hot. I’ve got about 20 years before my inner thermostat goes haywire? Age really does a number on you. I notice stuff.
Memory loss is tied to getting old. Those of you still lucid know that. Up until last week, I feared I was losing my mind. Now, I know I’m farther from nuts than I thought, thanks to an article by a guy whose name escapes me. The researcher introduced me to something he called “Event Boundary.” Sounds like a movie starring Dustin Hoffman.
The writer explained why we sometimes enter a room and forget the reason we’re there. Take last Thursday, I was sitting in the living room reading, when all of a sudden I saw something short and dark walking past the window. I’ve got great peripheral vision. I get comments all the time. – “Hey, Mark, you’ve got great peripheral.” Stuff like that.
Where was I? Oh, yeah, short and dark. I figured it was either a large cat or a slow-moving beach ball. Turns out it was a buzzard. I thought that odd. Buzzards don’t often walk past me while I’m reading.
My first thought was about how dirty the windowsill was. Must inform Kay. My second thought had to do with the purpose of a buzzard walking in my yard. Who or what lay rotting over by the pansies.
The only way I was going to find out was to get off my rear and go check. I would’ve yelled for Kay, but she’s less curious about the behavior of buzzards. So, I got up, walked out of the living room and was about to exit through the backdoor when I spotted my coffee carafe in the kitchen. I don’t have a coffeepot. I’ve got a carafe. Says it right there on the box.
As I had hoped, there was still coffee in the carafe, so I poured me a cup and went back to the living room to read the paper. It wasn’t till the next day that I thought of the buzzard. I was in the living room at the time, and might’ve gone outside to check for carcass residue, but I just didn’t care enough. That lounge chair can be a bear.
I might’ve thought that my buzzard experience was another example of an Alzheimer’s moment, but I remembered the Event Boundary article. And, now, I’m ready to share it with you. I just wanted to tell you about the buzzard first.
According to the article’s author, anytime we leave a room, our brain gathers our thoughts and files them. The minute we set foot in a different room, our brain starts gathering information on the new site. All the while, our old room thoughts are being stuffed into a mental file cabinet. My cabinet is full to the brim, and my filing system stinks on ice.
Obviously, the more urgent the call to action, the less likely we’ll forget our purpose for entering a room. I seldom enter the restroom without a hint as to why I’m there. If you have trouble remembering the reason for a restroom visit, it’s likely unwise for you to be up here with us. Aside from that, you’re probably in pretty good mental shape.
Isn’t that reassuring? Did you ever think a buzzard could make you feel better about your brain? So, you’re a little forgetful. No worry. Your brain is merely trying to acclimate to new surroundings. – Excuse me a second. – Gloria, it’s a turbo vent. Don’t try to sit on it. – See? What did I tell you about my peripheral vision?
No, Gloria, I didn’t know you were kidding. It’s the first time you’ve displayed a sense of humor. I like it. – And, no I’m not crazy about Matlock. -- You Rooftoppers are such joker people.
No, Darrell, we’re not going to check on the buzzard pickings. -- Oh, you’re not joking. Then, yes, we’ll go check. Assuming we can remember once we get to ground level.
End
Mark@rooftopwriter.com
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