Absent Minded Professor-ness

Hi.

There is a serious and fatal mental condition affecting the population of the globe, both young and old - the onset unpredictable. It is a serious disease, causing loss of memory, oblivion to the surrounding environment, and even sudden loss of coherence mid-thought.

And so when you find yourself with these symptoms, it's time to get serious.

The first time I was aware of this disease was years ago in the midst of my early teenage years. A close friend of mine had contracted this mental disability very early on in his life. He would often look lost in the halls of the school, as if he could not remember where he was. Often times, he would fail to remember simple things, such as money for school lunch, or permission slips for school activities. At times he would forget both. Now despite this hampering disability, he was a brilliant child, and managed to overcome the restrictions in an academic setting. Unfortunately, the same could not be said of his social interactions.

A few years later, I realized that my younger brother suffered from the same disease. I recognized the signs my friend had exhibited: large graphing calculator always slipped into his pocket along with several pens and pencils, the contents of his binders a disarray of loose sheets of paper, the lost look in his eyes. I did not think that I could bear to know that my brother would suffer in the same way as my friend. It seemed as though those with this mental deficiency would never recover.

Soon after the tragic news, I finally understood what they both were suffering with: AMPN, Absent Minded Professor-ness.

It seemed like there would be no cure, no hope. But in the recent years, I've seen the slow but successful progress made by those suffering from AMPN. With the help of loved ones and close friends, those struggling with AMPN can get back a full life, by targeting the main symptoms and working to increase their awareness of the present. Sure it may be a long struggle, but each step towards being a functioning member of society is one step on the way to being cured.

For those of you suffering or with loved ones caught by this disease, please visit our website, www.ampnexists.not, for more information on how to take the steps toward a better future. Or, call us at our center's 24 hour hotline, 1-AMPNexists or 1-267-639-4787, to speak to a representative.

It's time to get serious about absent minded professor-ness. The time is now.

[Disclaimer: Though the existence of AMPN may in deed be true, the legitimacy of such a disease has not been validated by any medical board or panel through any studies or research. Do not ask your doctor if you suffer from AMPN, for they may just be more likely to diagnose you with a different form of existing mental illness. If despite that you still feel the need to treat such an imaginary and bulls*** illness, therapy is highly recommended. 
The numbers and website provided are false, so it is recommended that neither of them be used as neither has been tested prior to being cited. Possible risks in trying include: potential viruses, crashing of computers, checks by national security administrations, bothering an innocent homeowner, the rage of said homeowner, and the possible stalking by enraged homeowner.]

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Now all disclaimers aside, I can't deny that I seem to be taking on quite a few of the above symptoms ^_^. I seem to forget what or why I'm doing something mid-stride. I forget my thoughts or points I wish to make in a discussion. At times I just sit around with no thoughts even running through my head. And sometimes it just seems so hard to have to interact with people in a social setting.

And for the life of me, I can't figure out why.

Maybe it's because all of the things I'm doing and thinking suddenly seem to lack the gravity or the intelligence it used to. Or maybe it's because I'm just getting dumber by the day. All that formal education down the drain. Or maybe my brain just isn't being used to its full potential or for fulfilling purposes.

But what ever it is, what worries me the most is that I am forgetting things. I move about the house with purpose to go complete a task. Half way there, I just forget what it was I was moving to do - all purpose lost. And I forget what I want to say in conversations - my mind is just blank. The thing is, if I start forgetting things now, what does that mean for my future?

As it is, I have a hard enough time pulling up solid evidence to defend points that I make while talking intelligently to other people. I realize I've gotten completely used to BS-ing my way or deducing my way to a conclusion based on limited knowledge and understanding, that I fear I may be losing touch with real facts and information about how I should deal with my environment.

And it's a known fact that neurons the neurons you have as a child or a youth are the maximum number you will ever have in your lifetime. So if I seem to be losing them already, what will happen just a few years down the line, or even as I get older? It kinda gets a little scary.

So the key is to figure out how to stop this decay - but I'm at a loss of how to go about doing so. Sure there are mind games to play online, or logic puzzles to keep your mind quick, but I already do those. And frankly, it all feels a bit like useless skills that won't really do much beyond give you immediate satisfaction or proficiency at a simple game. Of course I could attempt games like chess which really engage the mind - but who am I kidding, I have a hard enough time anticipating what I myself will do in a given situation. So how in the world would I anticipate another's moves?

Of course I could engage in work and further studies... but first I have to get into a program or career opportunity, and at this point, it's a waiting game and a tedious one at that. So I only run into the problem of, will I be able to even learn anything or do any work if my mind keeps decaying?

Then there are the intelligent pursuits, like classical music (piano), dance, arts... But it feels like there is no point, and it requires a lot of self motivation to get back into it... I'm trying, I'm trying.... Ok, it might take a while, but that's an option.

So I guess maybe it isn't just my mind, but my body that I am letting go to waste, and there is no such thing as a healthy mind without a healthy body. Which means I have to get serious about exercising... right. I should get on that.

Clearly I have to transform my worry about losing brain cells into a kind of motivation, to get in better shape and re-engage in mental activities that use my brain to be achieved. This is going to be a real uphill battle. So wish me the best?


I imagine this song would be the mantra of those pieces of knowledge that have as of yet still managed to stay in my brain, but also in rememberance of those no longer with me: