| Losing it |
 Ever have one of those days when you just feel like you've got so much on your plate, that you can no longer keep track of anything?
On any given day, I forget
- My ATM card PIN number
- The name of an actor or actress that starred in a movie that I just watched
- Where I left my keys
- What I was supposed to get at the grocery store
- My home phone number
- The password to any number of online accounts
- Where I put the latest release of the software that I wanted to install today.
I used to worry that maybe it was the onset of early senile dementia, until I finally came to the conclusion that the number of PIN numbers, names, and places that I have to keep mental track of has exploded exponentially since I was in my 20's. Back then, I had to remember my address, phone number, bank account number, and social security number. If pressed, I had to remember my children's names when I was yelling for one of them:
"Chris! I mean Andy!! I mean, Stephen! Get in here and clean up this mess!" (I've never been good at names. It's a good thing I didn't try to name my kids anything other than "common" names.)
Now, between having to remember at least two dozen log in names with accompanying passwords, my Australian tax file number (which I still don't have memorized,) in addition to my Social Security number, the names of sons plus their partners and their partners' parents names, three ATM PIN card numbers, secret codes and passwords which now no longer can contain just letters, but must have a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols - my brain is ready to collapse on itself.
I think my brain needs a vacation, although some people may argue that it's already on one. Truly, though - it's not that my brain is on vacation - it's that life's become too complicated. I'd treat myself to a Blackberry in order to keep all this information organized, if it wasn't such a security risk. At least, stored in my mind, there's no security risk involved. Especially since I forget most of it, most of the time. |
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| 3 Comments: |
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I know, it's a real pain. You can do what they do in the Army --get a 2GB flash drive and store all the info on there. That way it's easily accessible to you at home --you don't have to dig through files.
Also, THANK YOU for the flash widget! Don't know how you did it, but I'll try it later today.
By the way, sorry you haven't heard from Andy. That's just sort of this gaping hole that you cover up, but don't ever forget about.
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Same problem here. I first solved it by writing it down in a folder, which I cleverly mislabeled so no one would go looking for a file labeled "passwords". Then I figured out I could label everything with the same password. My bank makes me change my password every six months with a combination of letters and numbers. I figured out that one. I ue the date of the new password. Works every time.
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Who on earth remembers their tax file number. Mine's written down in the front of my address book.
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Name: Melanie O.
Home: Durham, North Carolina, United States
About Me: Female, American health and beauty-conscious professional who has rekindled a childhood love of dolls.
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posted by Melanie O. at 
I know, it's a real pain. You can do what they do in the Army --get a 2GB flash drive and store all the info on there. That way it's easily accessible to you at home --you don't have to dig through files.
Also, THANK YOU for the flash widget! Don't know how you did it, but I'll try it later today.
By the way, sorry you haven't heard from Andy. That's just sort of this gaping hole that you cover up, but don't ever forget about.