Dears,

Whether you fear Alzheimer’s disease, or not, there simply is too much to remember these days.

I’m so bombarded with celebrity baby bumps and revolutionary diets, on top of the very real and terrifying news of diseases and death, that I can’t think straight.  Add these daily doses of fluff and fury to my already heaping plate of worries and wonders–and my poor brain is full. I wish could hit delete on the non-necessary information clogging up my neurons, and focus on the important things. Like helping my friends get through their own bogged-down to-do lists, or assist as they recover from intestinal blockages, or offer more consolation on marriages breaking apart.

I really want to give my heart to so many things, and so many people, yet I’m burdened by the problems of people I don’t even know! Why is baby North West in my skull, or Prince George for that matter?

In some ways, we are all relying on our computers as out-sourced hard-drives for own brains. When we can’t recall something, we whip out our smart phones (dumbing us down in the process) and find the answers we seek. Why remember something when a machine can do it for us?

The other day, I had lunch with a good friend and we talked about all our troubles and our successes. As we paid the bill, my head and heart felt full. When I tried to calculate the tip, I got mixed up. I paused to really really think about what I was doing and realized that I was adding and subtracting at the SAME time. Weird. So either I’m a genius, or I’m having real memory issues, or I’ve been relying on computers and calculators for so long that I’ve forgotten basic math. Although, my pal Merit will tell you that I was never good at math. I wouldn’t have gotten through college without her head for numbers.

I got back to work after the tip-slip lunch date, and STOPPED myself from googling “how to know if you have dementia.” But I don’t even have to google it! Every time I open the computer, there’s news about how to save your mind or tell if you are losing it. Buy this. Drink that. Do more math.

Here’s the real deal: rely on your own head and heart more. Rest more. Help others more.

And, after you’re done reading this blog post, turn off the computer.

Love,

Nancy