Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Forgetful Jones

My parents left for their current country of residence last Thursday. When I was in college and my early twenties, I went galavanting off to places like India shaking my head at my parents' concern for my well-being. But now every time they leave, I can't wait until I hear that they've arrived at their destination safely. I would like to say that it was my deep and heartfelt concern that made the following episode (not) occur, but I'm pretty sure that's not it.

As I mentioned once before, I play my flute at church with the worship team on a fairly regular rotation schedule. The Thursday before we play, we always have a rehearsal. We played last Sunday, so of course we had a rehearsal scheduled for the corresponding Thursday. I was well aware of this. I had been conscious for weeks that I was playing on the 16th because various other momentous things (like Ex-Roommate-Sarah's bridal shower, for one) were also happening that day, so it was suitably highlighted in my mind.

I was also conscious of the rehearsal if for no other reason than that I had had conversations (real or virtual) about it with various worship team members all week. The very day of said rehearsal, it came up in my mind as I was bidding farewell to my parents.

Then I went upstairs to be productive or something, and felt kind of sad about the empty house, and watched some TV and went to bed. You may have noticed that I did not mention going to worship team rehearsal. That's because I didn't go. I didn't even realise I had missed it until I was drifting off to sleep, although once I did realise it, I couldn't sleep at all.

Actually, I became quite distressed, because this is the second time this has happened for that particular activity, and I did the same thing for Pioneer Clubs once. The particularly terrifying detail for me in this case was that during the very rehearsal I was missing, I happened to scan my calendar for something else and my eyes lit on the note I had written myself that I was playing on Sunday, and I still didn't realise what I was missing. You may recall that my Grandpa Madeira had Alzheimer's for something like 15 years before he went Home just before Christmas last year. I began to fret that I was going to become the youngest diagnosed victim of the disease.

"Fret" might be putting in mildly, I suppose. Actually, I had little melt-down. I thought I must be going crazy. I started talking to God out loud, as I do sometimes when I'm alone and upset. Then I thought that the fact that I was talking to Someone I couldn't see might be further proof in some people's minds that I was going nuts. Under normal circumstances this would have made me smile at myself, but for some reason (maybe because part of me felt like being frightened and angry) it didn't work that time.

The deep underlying irony, of course, was that the primary reason (followed by job decisions, parents leaving, roommates moving out, trying to decide if a new roommate is moving in, and relational adjustments) that I keep forgetting things is that I'm not getting enough sleep. And the reason I wasn't getting any sleep that night was because I couldn't get out of my head the detail that I hadn't been able to get into it when I needed it. (Well, that, and I had to get up at 3.45 a.m. Again.)

My mother (who hasn't heard this story before this writing) recently sent me an article about steps to take to be a more optimistic person--and why you should be. (Incidentally, she thinks I'm more optimistic than I used to be--and she's right. But clearly, as noted above, I have these relapses . . .) None of the things I did on Thursday were on the list. But neither was sleeping, I don't think. I'm pretty sure that (along with laughing at myself now) will help. Hahahahaha! Good night!

10 comments:

christianne said...

Oh, Jenn. So sweet. I hope you're able to find room in that life of yours to go easy on yourself.

Annelise said...

All I can say is that I will get Alzheimer's before you do. But I also get lots more sleep!

Heather said...

I had an idea for a blog post and immediately opened my blog knowing that if I don't jot it down, I forget. As I opened the browser, I forgot.
I had a meeting a couple of days ago. Forgot to go.
I had a third point...

Lara said...

I feel your pain. I have forgotten an appointment with the same person more than once, even after seeing it on my calendar only hours before.

Jennwith2ns said...

Wow. Thanks, everybody. I feel so much better now. I'm assuming the rest of you just forgot to post.

Props to anyone who remembers who "Forgetful Jones" is . . . :)

christianne said...

Um, I don't know about Forgetful Jones, but do I get half-credit if I tell you the post title made me associate Quincy Jones?

Annelise said...

I think Forgetful Jones was a character on Sesame Street.

Jennwith2ns said...

DINGDINGDINGDINGDING!!!

Mom! You win the prize! (Too bad I don't remember what it is.) Forgetful Jones is a circa 1970's Sesame Street character who rode his horse backwards.

Christianne, sure, you can have partial credit, 'cause QJ is cool.

kristin said...

I think Jenn you're to hard on yourself, And maybe you needed to rest. I know that you're a very active, people forget things. If you forget where you park the car, and it's all the time maybe there's a problem. Take Care...

Jennwith2ns said...

Kristin--funny you should say that about the car . . . last night I tried to get into the wrong one, before I realised that mine was actually about 5 cars down. Well, come on. EVERYONE has a blue Corolla. (We're just going to ignore the fact that the car I went to was not a blue Corolla. But it WAS dark outside!)

I was kind of hoping UFN Peter hadn't noticed I did that . . . but he did.