Monday, October 17, 2011
What day is it?
Ever since Hall of Fame Tennessee basketball coach Pat Summitt announced she had early onset dementia at age 59, I'm sure many of us around her age have been observing ourselves. Summitt said she had been forgetful (she also says skip the "pity party"). Forgetful for Summitt probably isn't the same as for the rest of us. As a high profile coach of marquee basketball program, she's also an executive. She has assistant coaches handling aspects of training, defense & offense. She has personal assistants doing paperwork, taking her phone calls & e mail. She has interns working as statisticians & doing basic research on high school prospects. She has scouts, a network of spies, trusted former players & high school coaches who contact her personally, She has PR people. She has to keep a handle on all of those, recruit, deal with alumni, make public appearance s & do charity work, still be a mentor to her team. She's the boss. One wonders what it was she forgot & how she remembered she forgot?
I was standing at the branch library check-out desk across from a clerk about my age. She's a bit ditzy. While she was checking out my books I was reading a flyer about a musical program at the main library on Thursday Oct 20 at 7 pm. I mentioned it to her. She said it was free but I needed to sign up for tickets, which she had in her drawer. I said, "It's this Thursday." She said, "No, next Thursday,"
Suddenly I became very confused. Next Thursday? What date is today? I didn't know today's exact date. But it's Monday & a week after Columbus Day & more than halfway through October. I also remembered "True Grit" was written by Charles Portis, because I ordered the novel from the main library without writing it on a post-it.
As I was sticking the books in my backpack, I asked another clerk filing books what the date was. "October 17th," she said with no hesitation.
As I walked past the main checkout book, I got the other clerk's attention, tapped on the flyer & said, "This coming Thursday."
I ain't the one with early onset dementia.
As for Pat Summitt, it'll be no big surprise to anyone including herself if she wins another National Championship this season.
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." Thomas Jefferson
I was standing at the branch library check-out desk across from a clerk about my age. She's a bit ditzy. While she was checking out my books I was reading a flyer about a musical program at the main library on Thursday Oct 20 at 7 pm. I mentioned it to her. She said it was free but I needed to sign up for tickets, which she had in her drawer. I said, "It's this Thursday." She said, "No, next Thursday,"
Suddenly I became very confused. Next Thursday? What date is today? I didn't know today's exact date. But it's Monday & a week after Columbus Day & more than halfway through October. I also remembered "True Grit" was written by Charles Portis, because I ordered the novel from the main library without writing it on a post-it.
As I was sticking the books in my backpack, I asked another clerk filing books what the date was. "October 17th," she said with no hesitation.
As I walked past the main checkout book, I got the other clerk's attention, tapped on the flyer & said, "This coming Thursday."
I ain't the one with early onset dementia.
As for Pat Summitt, it'll be no big surprise to anyone including herself if she wins another National Championship this season.
Labels: Elizabeth NJ, mental health, sports
