I very often feel vague and easily lose my train of thought during a conversation. Especially with social anxiety in the mix, but even without that element, it happens all the time.

I think part of what happens, besides just aging, is that we accumulate more and more responsibilities as we have jobs, marriage, and children, and those pressing responsibilities take up much of the room in our brain. We no longer have time to while away and feel the seconds tick by (unless we're at a school band concert--but there the cacophony discourages contemplation).

At the same time, perhaps we get into certain patterns of thinking as we grapple and cope with life's challenges and our patterns ossify?  So that it is harder to integrate new info from our working memory?

Oh, yes--then we have babies and lose a lot of sleep.  Then we become terrible sleepers.  That can't help, either.

I have many vivid memories of my childhood starting at two (that are by now memories of memories). These are important to me because I perceive them as part of my identity.  I was surprised to find out how many people's first memory was of being six, or nine or ten. 

I suppose there are other ways of becoming who you are besides remembering and knowing.  But here I am tempted to be narrow-minded and assume that those who have only vague recollections starting in sixth grade are missing a great dimension of life, a piece of themselves.

Rachel, my memory now is very similar to how you describe yours.  I no longer have facility with names, and although I used to be a sharp speller, I now have to look up familiar words.  I also forget constantly whether I've turned off the lights, locked the door, given the dog her epilepsy pill, etc. I am even losing my timeline of what happened in what recent year, or whether an event occurred one, two, or five years ago.  It's all blending together. Yikes.  Reading other members' gradual descent into vagueness is reassuring, though.

But, thankfully, I can still, as you put it, "organize information and identify the bottom line."  So I can still perform decently at my jobs.

Oddly, Rachel, I've have two or three different mental posts along these lines.  I still hope I get around to developing them . . . any similarity to what you have written here is purely coincidental.

I recoiled a bit as well.  And didn't really want my kids to see it.

Can I say I measure my life in coffee spoons?  Or has that been taken?

Pages have been loading more and more slowly in the last few months, and then the pop-up ads started several weeks ago.  Yesterday, a banner ad loaded at the top of the Main Feed.  It makes the site seem cluttered and junky. I really dislike the pop-ups.

Pseud, I love the idea of incorporating literature into history. I know of a local private school that does this, at least in middle school. I interviewed for a position there that included sixth grade history/ literature.   What an amazing opportunity. Alas, they did not call me back after the initial conversation with me. 

Thanks for the spoiler warning--I have not read this yet.  But I'll "Follow" it so I can come back and read as soon as Ihaveseen it.  It will probably be a week or so . . .

Powerful post, KC, with your usual lucid prose.  I admit, however, that it was your opening with its wider application that caught me.  It got me thinking about my own life.  I can be tempted with corruption, or guilty of it. It's an expression of my sin nature.

No editing button in sight.  Please forgive my wordiness; I will address it when I have access to my draft.

Update: This post has been clipped and tamed.  Maybe I should have left it wild . . . to illustrate our need.  

I followed it for about three years back in the days of Carrie Underwood, and Fantasia Barrino knocking me over with "Summertime," but I tried to start watching again several years back and just couldn't get through the cheap exploitation of the tryouts.

If the judges actually offered consistent, substantive advice, it might be different. And if the public voting was merit-based instead of controlled by teenagers who make bewildering choices.  And if we didn't have a gauntlet of contrived drama in the tryouts to endure.  And if the producers didn't trot out people, some of whom are clearly simple and/or needy, for America's entertainment.

Then I might watch.

This sounds like fun!

I was too distracted to watch the President in the first video; Biden's facial expression was too entertaining.

I had to look this up, and finally there you were, WC. Congratulations.

There are some helpful aspects to the Language Arts standards. And no, they do not a.) focus on reading of government manuals; and b.) rip novels out of students' hands.

We do harm when we see this development as a sinister shadow falling over our country.

Here is just one of the entries over at Hirsch's Core Knowledge blog that gives a different perspective.  Core Knowledge has been a steady, practical voice in education for years.  I trust Hirsch and what he advocates.

Not that districts can't bend these new standards in the direction of their teaching philosophies, but there is potential for good here.

I'm not the expert, though.  Linguaphile and Matthew K. Tabor: please chime in!