We all know that as we get on up in age, our ability to focus starts to diminish somewhat. However, I have had “senior moments” long before I ever hit the senior age milestone. Who hasn’t? And now that I’m up in years, those moments are coming more often. But I ask… is it truly a senior moment or something else?

For me… I think it’s “something else”. Something fairly harmless. I have one of those brains that is constantly jumping from thought to thought like an out of control event planner. Yes, I have actual senior moments when I just flat out forget what I was thinking about. But most of the time, I’m just not focused. My mind is running amok with other thoughts. You probably have experienced this too. Sometimes disconcerting, sometimes funny.

The Goofy Side Of “Senior Moments”

Years ago, when my daughter was young, I let her have a sleepover party for her birthday. The next morning I turned on the oven to get it ready for biscuits. Several minutes later we could smell something weird coming from the kitchen, specifically from the oven! I had put the plastic container for the cupcakes in the oven to get it off the counter and forgot it was there. Luckily, the plastic had just started to melt. To this day, I check and recheck the oven before I turn it on. I’m pretty sure my daughter does the same.

Ok, I probably shouldn’t share this one; however, I am. This morning while I was taking my shower, I grabbed my poof, grabbed my body wash and proceeded to pour it on the poof. Well, it wasn’t the body wash. It was my shampoo. Since I don’t like to waste anything… I can happily report that any hair anywhere on my body is now guaranteed to grow “long and strong”. Was that a senior moment? No. I was just thinking about all the painting I wanted to do today, my granddaughter’s birthday present, etc. etc. and was not focused on what I picked up. Admit it. You’ve done it too.

Several weeks ago, I could hear my cell phone going off. The theme from Harry Potter. It was muffled so I figured it was underneath something as usual. I looked and looked. I picked up papers, magazines. I went downstairs and back upstairs. I finally found it. In my back pocket. Kind of like when you can’t find your phone, because you’re talking on it!

Being all fired up to start a painting, I eagerly and happily mixed cold wax with oil paint only to discover I had grabbed acrylic instead. Had to scrape away two layers of paint and start over. If you are a painter, you’ll understand my “what the ….. ” moment.

I could go on and on, but luckily for you, I won’t.

Senior Moment or Just Easily Distracted?

Though I do worry about having too many “senior moments”, I’m pretty sure that the majority of mine are just from having too many thoughts running through the old brain matter at the same time… and the fact that I get distracted quite easily nowadays. Like a dog that sees a squirrel. I sit down to fold clothes, get up to get something to drink, see a magazine, pick it up to browse, put it down, think about the mail, go get the mail, forget the clothes, go upstairs, pick up a paintbrush, paint.

Fun! Fun!

When the Senior Moments Aren’t Fun

If distraction, confusion, forgetting things is becoming more and more common in your life (or the life of someone you know) then by all means, talk to a doctor about it. These aren’t senior moments to laugh off. I watched my father deteriorate as his times of forgetting and moments of confusion became a permanent part of his life. I don’t wish this on anybody or the family of anyone affected.

So take the advice of experts on keeping senior moments at bay. Watch what you eat, get enough sleep, stay social, stay active, do things that keep you engaged.

Read, do word puzzles, PAINT! Yes, you can paint. It’s good for your cognitive processes. If you don’t get distracted.