Old People and their Need for Order | Eastern NC Now

    One of the numerous side effects I acquired while working for an engineering company for 40 years is a "tendency" to focus too much on details. My nature was normally a big picture type but years of detailed reports and projections finally made their impact on me. Since my company occasionally provided products on government contracts, the paperwork was extensive. We manufactured and sold electric motors for use on nuclear ships and Nuclear power plants. We had to document the origin of all material used in the manufacturing process and there was a sign off sheet for each worker who had a part in the manufacturing process. The internal joke, which was not too far from the truth, was that the paperwork weighed more than the product.

    I am not an engineer by education or training so I had to make a concerted effort to pay attention to the details. It took its toll on a freewheeling devil may care type of guy.

    Now as I grow older, my memory fades, and those tendencies have taken hold and threaten to control my life.

    The old joke that older people are forgetful is not really a joke. In order to combat that, most old people prefer order in their lives. If you really want to give an old person a jolt, next time you are around one, just open a drawer and switch a few items between the drawers. It will give them a few seconds of panic followed by several hours of wondering if they have cross the Rubicon on the memory trail.

   

    I keep 3x5 cards in my pocket to jot reminders of useless thoughts that may be important later. My obsession with order now has a name. One of my other problems is that I have the ability to keep multiple partial thoughts in mind at one time. Notice I said partial. They have a name for that also.

    I am not trying to make light of people who really suffer from these serious afflictions, but to remind myself that I may have "Tendencies".