Remember when you began to panic over the repeatedly lost keys, lost bills, lost work papers, lost car in the underground parking lot? Because deep down inside you knew that you had fallen victim to early-onset Alzheimer's Disease? And you were afraid to mention it to anyone because saying it out loud would make it true?
And then remember the first time you read an article tying short-term memory loss to estrogen deprivation and breathed a deep internal sigh of relief? (Even better were the articles that assured you that some day when this all ended, your sixty-year-old memory would be as sharp as that of your teenage daughter. An elusive goal, still in the hazy future.)
But then you probably didn't proceed to try something really foolish, like learning the Greek alphabet. The one with little squiggles which you have previously encountered only in buildings inhabitated by inebriated males and bearing names like Delta Gamma Zeta or Psi Phi Theta.
I, however, seem to have found it necessary to leap where angels, quite reasonably, fear to tread.
And then remember the first time you read an article tying short-term memory loss to estrogen deprivation and breathed a deep internal sigh of relief? (Even better were the articles that assured you that some day when this all ended, your sixty-year-old memory would be as sharp as that of your teenage daughter. An elusive goal, still in the hazy future.)
But then you probably didn't proceed to try something really foolish, like learning the Greek alphabet. The one with little squiggles which you have previously encountered only in buildings inhabitated by inebriated males and bearing names like Delta Gamma Zeta or Psi Phi Theta.
I, however, seem to have found it necessary to leap where angels, quite reasonably, fear to tread.
16 comments:
Funny! I've had those worries. But remember this (if you can): you no longer care what the cute guy next to you thinks (if you ever did, that is), what you are wearing doens't even register, and Friday night means "REST"...
Leenora
Good luck with that.... ;)
Oh, I hope I'm laughing with you. Good luck!
(((gg)))
well put statement of the anxiety of the earliest days of seminary, in your particular experience, of course.
thinking of you.
Good luck! I tried Greek about four years ago and decided I was too old. Oddly, next week I am starting again with an old priest who loves Greek. At least, it's in my own town, so I don't have to travel!
I think I'm older than you are (I'm 56), so we'll struggle with this together! I remember I hated and tried to ignore the accents.
I'm proud of you, GG.
A wise coworker of mine put the whole memory thing this way: "If you forget where you put your car keys, that's normal, it's no big deal. If you forget what car keys are for, we need to talk."
I needed a good laugh today. I hear you and am with you.
Well there is also all that research that says if you continue to use your brain's capcity you will have it longer! If Soduku puzzles are good, Greek has got to be better! Hang in!
I just recently totally blanked on my husband work phone#. ooh. so... how's greek coming?
Oh yes. I am totally with you. And, I was only 38 when I studied Greek (and, it was ALL Greek to me). I mean really E's that aren't E's and A's that aren't A's? Give me Hebrew any day, at least I can't confuse it with a language I've known all my life (English)...
Oh, and that hormone thing. yeah...
What's really bad, preaching and you can't summon up the word you want, it's right there on the tip of your tongue, it will come in a few minutes time, but well, when preaching a sermon, time is now, not later....lol....
What Steve said: hahahahaha.
Wait. What ARE car keys for again?
Not studying Greek, but I can relate.
You go, girlfriend!
I'm afraid I was an insufferably smug 22 year old when I started greek. I'm sure there's some payback coming my way soon.
I studied Russian and was terrified (as all are) by the cyrillic. But take an evening (or 2, since you are no longer 22). Make note cards, write the letters over and over. It's much better to have "new" letters with sound values than to have to associate new sounds with letters that are firmly in your head. (russian by extension is easier than czech, polish or turkish: same letters, different values). Hang in!!!
I do so sympathize, which is why I was greatly relieved to receive the syllabus for my (one) seminary course and find that it calls for three short papers, no tests.
I discovered your blog recently and really appreciated your writings about Ignatian spirituality. I am looking forward to following your seminary adventure, as well.
Ah yes, the memory struggles which place learning Greek and hormones in a bad nexus. What helped me was understanding how I best learn, whether it be hearing, seeing, writing. We each are different. I found making the flashcards by hand fed part of my brain and seeing them visually fed the other part. It seems like it cannot all fit in your brain but it will.
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