Today I took a nap after arriving in Danang from Hanoi. I didn't sleep real well last night and I thought a nap would do me good. Quickly, I fell into a deep sleep, but not for long. I don't know why I woke suddenly, but when I did, I had no idea where I was or who I was, and I couldn't make my mind fix itself quick enough before I almost went into a panic.
I don't think there is anything wrong with me. I have been traveling a bit lately, never in one place for more than two weeks before going somewhere else. I think it was just a very brief lapse of orientational awareness brought on by stress and a lack of sleep, but the experience made me care more about those afflicted with Alzheimer's disease. I was listening to Glen Campbell's swan song 'I'm not gonna miss you' just the other day and I found it profoundly sad.
I read that there are ways to keep your mind sharp with games and puzzles, and that staying away from foods with lots of processed sugar will prevent, or delay the onset of diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia. But even doing those things, I can't help but to be afraid of the seemingly arbitrary nature of those illnesses.
Right now, my job entails keeping track of eight teams in as many operational locations throughout the country of Vietnam. Having to know movement and visit schedules, as well as details of the sites these teams are on, is quite a head full of information. I think I do fairly well keeping up, and I think the job is on a par with any of the most challenging puzzles and games out there. I just wonder if it is enough to thwart the insidious mental diseases I will be up against as I age.
