Tossing Your Tissues

There is a jokey line that many people use: "I have a good memory; it's just a little short."

Not me: I have a decent memory — for most things, most of the time — but it is terribly unpredictable and unreliable. The item that I need to remember isn't always present in my brain when I need it to be. It will usually come back to me at some point, but that point may be either too late or another inappropriate moment when I am once gain forced to file it and, therefore, repeat the process.

There are long term things one can do to keep track of necessary tasks. Most of us keep lists of some sort, for example. Unfortunately, I tend to lose lists after awhile. Even so, they frequently help me.

For very short term items, however, I frequently resort to displacing an article. Usually, it means throwing a box of tissues or something else that doesn't belong on the floor. That way, I'm sure to notice the object when I next get up from whatever I'm doing at the time (such as blogging), and it has never failed to remind me what it is I need to do. I always seem to recall why I put it there, and I usually tend to the chore then.

I think this temporary memory misplacement (of the mental todo list) to which I am prone tends to afflict males more than females (although Cuppa also resorts to the displaced object memory hook from time to time). Unfortunately, the task that we guys often lose track of is something that was requested by the missus. And I have observed (from afar, of course) most missuses find such temporary amnesia to be highly annoying.

So, although I recommend this displaced object technique for almost anybody, I especially suggest that males adopt it, especially with regards to those casual honeydo requests. We always intend to comply with such requests, and we always feel that we won't forget, but too often we do forget ... at least for long enough to really annoy that special someone. And it's really nice to keep Momma happy.

Wives, please feel free to share this to your husbands.