Flexing Memory Muscles

I think my age has caught up with my intellect. More frequently than ever, I find myself walking into a room and suddenly thinking to myself, “now why did I come in here?”

You’ve heard of putting a string around your finger to help you remember something? Once I did that and couldn’t for the life of me remember why that string was there!
I’m constantly writing myself little notes; otherwise I lose stuff amongst the crowded cobwebs of my multitasking mind.

They say that self-imposed cerebral challenges help you keep your mental edge. My favorite brain-power booster is the New York Times crossword puzzle. I subscribe online and print out a bunch at one time so I can use any down-time to stretch my synapses with a verbal workout.
For the uninitiated, each day of the week features a slightly more difficult crossword puzzle. Monday’s is fairly easy.

Saturday’s is for brainiacs. Sunday’s has about the same degree of difficulty as a Thursday, only it’s bigger.
I don’t think I’ve finished more than a half-dozen or so Wednesday puzzles. But that doesn’t mean I stop trying!

And delving into the etymology of those unfamiliar words and phrases can be a great history lesson. And talk about puns! Some puzzles are chock-full of brilliantly constructed witticisms. My neurons are firing faster just thinking about them.

There are tricks to improving your solutions. By doing the crosswords regularly, I’ve gotten to know the most often-used letters and the arcane words they form.
Words unique to crossword puzzles are interesting to know, but they don’t help much in social situations. In my experience, the word “apse” has never come up in conversation. And when was the last time you heard the name Theda Bara mentioned outside of a crossword puzzle? Or Pola Negri? Or Mel Ott?
No, crosswords definitely won’t get me any dates. They’re solitary exercises between me and my own gray matter, which I can hopefully keep in better shape as a result.
Now, if I could just remember where I put that folder full of puzzles!
Playlist:
1. Crossword Puzzle — Sly & The Family Stone
2. Words — Bee Gees
3. The Letter — Joe Cocker
4. Saturday’s Child — The Monkees
5. Sunday Morning — The Velvet Underground
6. My Friend, the Dictionary — The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
7. Crossword Puzzle — Roberta Alexander
8. Play The Game — Queen
9. The Word — The Beatles
10. Remember — Billie Holiday