I had the good fortune to be invited to meet with the Rukiya Literary Club in Midlothian, Texas to discuss my book, “Triumph! A Battle Plan for Joy.” Helene, the host, was most gracious. She served great food, including something for me, a vegan, accompanied by superb hospitality. The ladies asked probing questions, making for a lively and enjoyable discussion, with a lot of humor.
Helene surprised all of us with an activity appropriate for a literary club, that had a theme suitable for African American History Month. I lucked out to draw the question labeled #1, meaning I had to answer the first question. As I read the question, I suddenly felt a little warm, and then a little hot, as my memory ran away from me.
I kept thinking “I know that! Come back, memory!” I was fortunate to recover in time to summon the answer from somewhere in the back of my memory bank, crushed underneath the weight of all of the “stuff” that has infiltrated my thoughts over the years.
When I was younger, whenever a question was asked, if I knew then answer it simply came forth. But now after 70, the answers tend to play hide-and-seek. The more I seek, the more they hide. The difficulty of the find was always what made HIDE AND SEEK such fun in my youth. But that was then, and this is now.
The good news is I still like the game of hide and seek, so I just sit back and enjoy the mental exercise. Funny thing – the moment I stop struggling to remember, the answer usually taps me on the shoulder, “Here I am.” “I TOLD YOU I KNEW THAT!”