Martha Weinman Lear was on Terry Gross’ Fresh Air on Feb. 15th. She has a new book called Where Did I Leave My Glasses? that explores the how and why of normal memory loss. Lear is an accomplished writer and the age in her voice gives her a gravitas that Catherine Ramin Jakobson’s (who is a worried, early middle ager) Carved In Sand is missing.
Lear’s explanations of how memory functions and how it makes us worry when it slows down, are enormously calming in their clarity. The sample chapter on the NPR site is similarly lively, inventive, and similarly clear and calm. She describes it as “not really loss,” but a “slowing down.” She (and the experts she interviews) urges people to focus, not multi-task.
Here was my favorite line…”my memory is better because of relaxing about it.”
people are much more worried that they will have memory loss when they grow. they fear being senile and forgetful. when they forgot something, they panic.
thats why it is important to keep a diary or a personal blog to remind something that has happened. cause no one deserves to lose their memories.
yet, losing our memories seem to be a good thing when it comes to forgetting all the bad and negative events.
Hi
just to say that I think ‘Where Did I Leave My Glasses?’ is a brilliant book which everyone over 50 should read! I have reviewed it on my site “Writing from the Twelfth House” this week (May22 09) and your readers might enjoy reading it, as well as my column – ‘Just let me get old, ok?’
Best wishes
Anne Whitaker
Writer
Glasgow
Scotland