It’s weird when you discover a new thing that’s directly attributable to cognitive problems (brain fog). It’s like when I first discovered I literally can’t hear what is said to me if I’m reading or writing. I tune in somewhere through the sentence. It drive my OH wild. And because I can’t follow TV programs etc, I am often reading or writing when he speaks. Not that I can remember what I read either.
The other day I realised that I’d started a book in the evening, read maybe 40 pages, then by the following day I had absolutely no memory of having read any of it. It just failed to register. Maybe because the poor old brain was tired (from doing really very little, it doesn’t have much excuse really!) I’ve got used to not remembering a book I read a year ago, but the previous day, its a new one on me.
But I did just have a conversation with a friend about the characters in The Magic Faraway Tree (Enid Blyton). And I knew all the children’s names as well as an awful lot of the other characters. And we then moved on to discussing Roald Dahl, I remembered most of the characters in Charlie & the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach. So all is not lost. If I can remember the important things in life, then the niggly little things can go to hell.
Heartbreaking day - for mums and dads. My daughter has tickets to go to there next week to see Robbie Williams - l hope it will be cancelled. Something like this tragedy sparks off copy cat nutters.
l keep watching the news - in hope that the mum who is looking for her daughter gets some good news.
I wish I could read with the TV on but it’s too much of a distraction. I can read with music on in the background, but only instrumentals. I tend to be distracted by lyrics in the same way as by speech. I can knit with the TV on, I just need to look up from time to time.
I’m glad that MS hasn’t affected my enjoyment of reading. With over 1000 print books and hundreds of e-books, many of which are unread, I’d be extremely distressed if I was unable to read for any reason. In fact, most of my hobbies and interests rely on reasonable eyesight, so I don’t know what I’d do if I went blind.
This was meant to be a reply to Sue’s last post. I don’t know why it didn’t appear that way.
It’s OK. Life without books is unthinkable. And not being able to remember the plots of books was really very upsetting for a long time. I’ve had to find a bright spot in spite of that, i.e. that it can be a bit cheaper!
And I totally agree, eyesight is extremely valuable. I can live without TV, I have trouble reading when there’s anything distracting on. These days I’m extremely grateful to sport. Which I don’t complain about being on the telly anymore, since that means I can read. Since I can’t follow TV, I need to be doing something else. And I can’t knit or sew, cos my hands don’t work. I type with my thumbs and I feel fortunate to have the benefit of ebooks.
So I continue to read in spite of not remembering the plots.
Cognitive problems are the absolute pits. We learn to live with our physical disabilities fairly well, but to lose some of our ability to use our brains is crap. That after all is the point of this thread. Yes, it’s also entertaining, but to most of us who inhabit this space, there is a very real part of our lives that is lost to us. And at times, like suddenly discovering you’ve lost the connection between the words you’re reading and actually verbalising them, it’s upsetting. And as you said, not massively worrying, because you don’t need to do it all the time, but it’s another small piece of your brain which has decided to malfunction.
Hubby doesn’t usually get worked up just because children or young people are involved, but this event upset him. Some of the audience will have been given tickets as gifts, or been taken as part of a special occasion. Not only was the event ruined but those youngsters will be traumatized for a long time, possibly for life.
Hubby listens to the radio while working. One talk show had a guest who’d gone under cover in one of the extremist training camps. Apparently they justify their actions against Westerners by saying that nobody is innocent. Not women, not elderly people, not children. Not even Western Muslims are innocent unless they renounce Western ways. The fact that this is contrary to the Koran doesn’t bother them because many trainees don’t know the Koran any better than most Christians know the Bible. It doesn’t bother the people running the camps because they have their own agenda.
As someone brought up as a strict Christian, but now a confirmed atheist (I have seen no evidence of God, and as my degree is History, I know to go where the evidence take you, even if you don’t like it) - I do know the bible pretty well, read it right through several times, and have made a conscious choice to ignore it! It was reading the bible that made me an atheist, I think. I despise religion - all religions - and whatever makes someone do something like that ain’t going to get any votes from me. Targeting young kids… despicable.
“Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.” - Stephen Weinberg.
I attended a C of E secondary school where Religious Education was taught for the first two years. The teacher was an ordained C of E vicar. The first thing he said about the Bible was that it contains laws, myths and parables, and very little fact. I suppose the point was that we were supposed to take it on faith. At the time I was a believer - at eleven years old you don’t tend to question religion too much. I’ve since become an atheist for similar reasons to Frascatorius.
The people who commit these atrocities are not representative of true Muslims. They have received a version of the Koran that has been warped to suit the purposes of an aggressive minority. I wouldn’t want to believe in a god that wanted believers to shed innocent blood. If I had to pick a religion I’d choose Buddhism. Buddha is supposed to have said that gods are irrelevant. He was referring to finding enlightenment or to self-improvement, but no god forces someone to blow themself up in a public place.
Mark Twain (not an atheist, but questioned religion for a time) said something like “Enough blood has been spilt in the name of religion to float the world’s navies.” (I can’t find the exact quote.) That was over 100 years ago. It’s still true.
I’m trying to imagine not being able to remember the plot of a book from the beginning to the end, or follow a film or TV series No, can’t do it. It’s too horrible. Yes, it’s cheaper, but it’s not as much fun.
As for not having the use of my hands, that doesn’t bear thinking about either. I said that my hobbies and interests require reasonable eyesight, but they also require working hands. OK, I could put my Kindle on a book stand and turn the pages with a stylus or whatever, but I’d have to give up needlework, computer games and jigsaw puzzles.
I think I could cope with being in a wheelchair, preferably electric so that Hubby doesn’t have to wheel me around. I’m not sure how I’d cope with losing the use of my hands or going blind. I suppose some physical disabilities are easier to cope with than others. Cognitive problems just creep up on us when we’re not looking.
I believe in people. The people who were the 1st responders, the people that rushed to help the poor bewildered, injured & shocked ones that were involved in this horrific crime. I believe in the fact that whatever religion, colour, creed or nationality of Great Britain, people from every walk of life came to the aid without any thought of anything else but to help. Every country in Britain has been severely affected by this, everyone. The name of this country, United Kingdom, means exactly what it says, & we are united in grief & support. Manchester has projected this with such bravery & humility, even in the face of this horrific tragedy. These murderers are exactly what you said Cheerful, a nasty, monstrous minority. They don’t care for their own lives, they certainly don’t care for others & they are cowards that stand behind the excuse it’s for religion.
My primary and secondary school were Church of England - and my parents encouraged us to go to Sunday School/Church - and even allowed us to attend different churches - Methodist/Baptist/Anglican / catholic etc. Which l respect them for - because they were atheist - but did not want to influence us. Wanted my brother and l to be able to decide for ourselves.
lf l had to choose a religion l would like to be a Buddhist. l always say l worship Mother Nature - which is very Buddhist.
Now l will call myself a ‘Culturist’ [not in the dictionary] l am proud of my culture as a Brit- and sad that our culture is not respected by others who choose to come and live here. Why, when they hate their own country and want to upsticks and move to Britain - - do they then not join in and embrace our way of life… They want to bring all of the bad side of their lives with them.
OK, we know that not all muslims are terrorists - but for now - all terrorists are muslim.
Obviously, they are the minority - but is it not time the majority stood up and denounced the cruel despicable cold-blooded murderers amongst them. Time the mothers and fathers - sisters and brothers of any of the bad element did something about it. Prove to us in UK - that they can be law abiding decent people.
There is enough of them. lf they are not on the side of Peace in Britain - then they should not be allowed to live here.
This last atrocity is going to spark off a horrendous back-lash. Time the Armed Forces were brought in. [Just heard on the radio that the army have been called in to help in Manchester]
And any Muslim leaving this country should have their pass-port taken off them so they cannot return. We have had our heads in the sand for too long.
Last night l heard a young man - whose 12 yr old daughter wanted to go to the concert in Manchester to see her favourite pop singer - say - if he was suffering a terminal illness - he would strap explosives on himself and walk into the nearest mosque and blow them all up. And he will not be the only parent thinking the same right now.
i`ve lost me legs, which includes walking, running, swimming, dancing…but my hands work well…with a tinge of arthritis is some knuckles, but glucosamine is fighting that fight for me quite well…
I`m half deaf…can be a real swine or highly amusing…it always frustrates me, but can cause laughter too!
But thinking about loss of sight fills me with dread.
That would take some living with! Yet blind people do often live independent lives.
I for one hope not!! I think fun and frivolity and sheer madness should commence and do so freely !! Otherwise what is this life if but fear dictated to the many by the few!! Scary thought. So many more died for freedom than those that try to quash it and they’d have given more than there life was worth for one last frivolity x
All’s right on the Wight ! Travel article in Sunday Express about lOW - made me giggle thinking about what they will be writing about when we take over.
There is a steam train - anyone fancy being a train driver. Polls OH might be up for that. We shall need ‘wheel tappers and shunters’.
Poll has passed a chuff or two as well as a few chuffin ecks! Surely that is qualification enough to be driver … or hubby of course … all on board !!.. destination madness … All together "chuff chuff chuffing chuff "
As we chuff along and chew the cud… AD’s pix has made me chuckle. . It reminds me of when my little darling called poor grandad a ‘fatarang’… I laughed too hard to tell her off