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I've heard anecdotally that people with light-colored eyes are more sensitive to the sun, and I think my slightly fanatical use of sunglasses confirms this notion. So when, this weekend, my shades unceremoniously fell from my head and kissed the concrete with an unceremonious (and frame-breaking) thud, I hightailed it to the Target eyewear aisle first thing the next morning. Although the trip revolved around my glasses purchase, naturally I thought of a few other items to drop in my cart. (Am I the only one who can turn a 10-minute Target shopping excursion into an hours-long affair?) Since I was planning on hitting the gym directly after, I endeavored to keep my aisle meanderings to a minimum, which I did in great measure. Pleased with my progress, I sauntered to the checkout. Did I find everything OK, the guest services rep sweetly asked. You bet I did, I answered, feeling quite proud for undertaking my task in record time. She scanned my items, I swiped my card, we said our good-byes … and no sooner had I begun wheeling out my cart than it dawned on me:
I forgot to buy my sunglasses.
Incredulous and more than a bit embarrassed, I trod back to the checkout and announced that I neglected to buy the main thing I'd planned to purchase. Jettisoning my cart, I sprinted to the shades section and quickly found a cool pair (and for 50 percent off, no less; gotta love Target!) — but not without chiding myself for being a harebrained moron.
Why am I regaling you with this tale, you must be wondering. Because instead of beating myself up for what really is a trivial oversight — I, like most of us, was simply multitasking my way through another busy day and demanding that my brain keep up with my harried pace — I should be glad I'm able to go about my day with relative ease. See, I just finished writing a feature on Alzheimer's for our April issue, and it made me realize how precious life truly is. Punishing and incapacitating, Alzheimer's disease robs the memories (and the lives) of some 5.4 million Americans — and that’s just a drop in the bucket compared with the many more anticipated diagnoses in the coming years. Not only does it pummel the people who suffer from it, but it also brings their loved ones to their collective knees. No one knows what causes it, there is no cure … and also no escape; it’s always fatal. People go from leading normal lives to completely losing their faculties. Like loose threads on a sweater, their memories (and bodies) slowly unravel.
And I was bummed because I forget to grab some glasses before going to the gym ?
Talk about perspective.
Seize the joy in life,
Alison
