Several things happened to me recently that have put some doubt into my heart.
I used to have a very sharp memory. I could remember things like phone numbers of all my friends, the periodic table, the anatomy of the human heart and how many hit points a sand worm has.
Now I can’t even remember simple things.
Let me give you three solid examples.
1. I can’t remember why I entered a room.
I find myself pausing at the kitchen or in my room, and trying to remember why I walked there in the first place. Sometimes I will be holding something totally irrelevant (like a phone).
I don’t know if this has happened to you, but it is happening more frequently now that baby Rachel is here.
My self-prognosis is I’m trying to multi-task too much, to the point where I lose track of individual threads. I need to implement a better Serializer (lame Java joke), or get a better JNDI provider (another lame Java joke).
2. I’m driving to the wrong places
The other night as I was driving to CG in USJ Subang. As I approached the Federal Highway, I turned towards KL.
I was so used to driving to work, that I didn’t realize anything until Poey Chin asked me why I am going in the opposite direction.
Do you think there’s anything wrong with me?
I used to have a very sharp memory. I could remember things like phone numbers of all my friends, the periodic table, the anatomy of the human heart and how many hit points a sand worm has.
Now I can’t even remember simple things.
I think there’s definitely something wrong.
July 7, 2008 at 11:33
Haha… same situation as me. I think we intend to lose focus when we’re doing something and when we’re too focus we get forgetful too. Mostly because we’re not enough sleep and our mind just wandering around. But I’m sure that if something very important and at your top priority, you won’t forget it easily. So don’t worry about your absent minded “illness”, it’s normal for people who’re getting older. (Not that old lar, just getting to be more adult I mean)
Adino: Haha… glad to know I’m not alone!
July 7, 2008 at 11:49
It’s probably because you are often thinking about Rachel and forgot what you were doing.
Wait, did you *intentionally* forget example #3? You said there are “three solid examples”.
Adino: Did I say three? Oh dear…
July 7, 2008 at 13:19
Not sure about parenthood, but I do get that when my life get frantic or there’s too much to juggle at the same time.
You probably need an outlet to let go of your tension and emotion that have been building up.
Adino: What I need is some sort of order and routine in my life.
July 7, 2008 at 14:39
yes, you did intentionally leave no. 3 out!…i am sure of that
…hahaha
More than once i forgot to pick Wen Cheang (you still remember him, don’t you?) and headed straight to church and more than once i forgot to drop him home…my excuse was ‘he is so quiet that i forgot he was in the car’ and of course my boys went ‘yeah right, just admit la that age is catching up’. I am not that ‘old’ right?…heeheehe
Adino: You’re not old la… and yes, I think it was intentional
July 7, 2008 at 22:47
Hehehe… maybe you need some gingko biloba for your next birthday.
But I think you’ve just got too many things on your mind that you let your body automate itself and you get these “episodes” of what seems to be forgetfulness when it’s actually you reasserting control over your subconscious mind and therefore breaking the chain of thought. You follow? Keke.
Adino: You lost me at automate.
I guess you’re telling me that I only think I’m forgetful because my brain suddenly kicks in and interrupts my body on auto cruise? That makes sense. If I could only remember not to interrupt myself next time.
July 8, 2008 at 09:52
LOL
welcome to fatherhood
Wait till you have 2 kids
Adino: I don’t even want to think about a second kid yet!
July 8, 2008 at 11:56
I call that being hypnotised. I get that alot, esp on the road. The mind goes on an auto-drive…and when it’s manual type, it blanks out! Heh…yenjai points it out very aptly! Welcome!
Adino: Maybe we are just too tired to think clearly sometimes.
July 10, 2008 at 11:46
Oh no you are becoming like me. I am like that everyday! Everyday!! One time I actually fetched PC to my house instead of hers. I tell you leh. I’m sure there is a diagnosis to this disease. Is there a doctor House in our midst?
Adino: I also don’t know what happened la… one moment I’m heading to a part of the house, and the next moment I’m standing there with some unrelated things in my hands.
July 10, 2008 at 17:30
I heard, that many women have bad memory during the pregnancy. But they say, that it will turn to normal after a while. So maybe your memory will return
The best cure for it is returning to the place you were before and usually the thing, what you wanted, just pops back into your head 
That thing with going to a room and forgetting what you wanted is for me normal and it often happens with me
By the way, your baby is adorable
Adino: Thanks! But err… I wasn’t pregnant, my wife was
July 16, 2008 at 17:04
same here.. i am getting short term memory lost too.. too many a times i walked into a room and wondered why do i go there at the first place!
Adino: Sometimes I wonder if I need to hire a personal assistant. But then, can’t trust anyone nowadays. They might suddenly make a police report against you.
July 27, 2008 at 11:44
Hi Adino,
Interesting blog you have here. I don’t think something is wrong.
Usually, when these things happen to me, it means I’ve too many things on ny mind. Most of the time, I’m thinking about something else.
Eg.
Goes to the room to get my glasses. Halfway there, I start thinking about what I’ve to do later in the afternoon. Once I reach my room…oops, now why am I here?
Hehe
Rgds
My Blog: http://wonderwealthwisdom.blogspot.com/
Adino: Looks like this is a common problem haha!
Welcome to my blog!
July 28, 2008 at 01:57
you are just distracted, plain & simple. unless you’ve recently been bashed on the head.
i mean, you’ve got Rachel, thinking of her future, medical insurance, etc etc. how can one not be distracted??
btw, there’s no evidence that gingko biloba works, so please don’t blow your salary on it!!
oh yes, i have the same problem.
Adino: I think I will just try to do fewer things at one time