Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Slip Slidin' Away

A friend and I (okay, one of our fellow bloggers, who will remain Nameless, for reasons you'll understand if you read on) were discussing the other night the somewhat panicky--alright, downright frightening--feeling of losing our minds. At thirty, with two kids, I find myself at a strange crossroads: I'm not so far gone that I don't remember being smart, but I've lost too much to ever hope of returning to my former state of smart-ness.

For example, the other night, my husband and I were playing Pente, a very simple board game. Deceptively simple, really. As in anyone can play, but it takes a sharp mind to play well...and, most importantly, of course, to win. My husband's mind, having not endured pregnancy, childbirth, nursing, sleep deprivation, teaching his own children--all exercises in brain-sapping, if you ask me, as they get more and I retain less--is still quite sharp. Not only is mine not-so-sharp anymore, but the scary thing is that I can remember what it used to feel like when it was...I know what I've lost. Ouch. I used to be so good at that game.

Anyhow, Nameless and I were sympathizing. She still seems quite sharp to me, though, so I was secretly thinking that somehow her three children must not be sapping her brain as much as my two. Or it must be that she had more to work with from the start? She has it so together...

But then we had lunch together. Or was it dinner? The kids were at their little table, and we grown-ups were at our own table. Engaged in lovely discussion. Happy children grubbing. And as we talked, Nameless got up to get something from the kitchen. Next thing I knew, I'd been served a sippy cup of milk. Nameless continued to converse as she walked to the kids' table, empty-handed.

At least I'm not alone.

(Only now I think the lunch/dinner/whatever incident was before the losing-our-minds conversation...whatever. Slip slidin' away. "You know the nearer your destination, the more you're slip slidin' away." Sing it, boys.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp6Zx_fzpq8

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Okay, that's great. and thank you for sharing. I literally just told my hubby last night that I'm losing my mind! I was sharing how I never get to finish a sentence, much less a thought, without some sort of interruption: wiping a nose, or bottom, intervening in sibling rivalry, outright rudeness, you name it...My brain is fried and I know it wasn't like this before kids ( I was literally just now interrupted with kids throwing a fully used muffin rapper, loaded with crumbs!)And I wonder why I can't find pretty much any important document when I want it--I'm sure I was interrupted as I was putting it in its important place! So there you have it..we're all part of the club!