I engage in a few activities to ward off the potential loss of memory function. Crosswords, scrabble, hand-eye coordination games and so forth form a daily regime to keep the wolf from the door. In addition, I've always been fairly sporty, though recent injuries have kept me housebound. Cycling is starting to fill that gap. I can report that my new electric-assist bicycle is doing well.

But nothing can stop an impairment that occurs in addition to the normal ageing process as a result a say, a genetic predisposition, or trauma. I have mentioned before how unreliable my memory of the 1970's has become. But just recently, I have noticed some alarming gaps that I can locate in the 1990's, such as completely forgetting students I have taught (to my embarrassment) or even looking through photos from the time and drawing a blank.

Once again, the time period for this phenomena is quite selective, because my recall of the 1980's is vivid. I ran into a student from my first year of teaching and remembered her name and details about her almost perfectly. Fast forward ten years and I am forgetting even my best students.

It's puzzling and frustrating, though it does not impact in any way of my capacity in the present. Perhaps it's time for a check-up.