AAADD (Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder)

My husband has every reason to worry about me, a sexy, passionate, confident Toastmaster in public, also at home, in the past! But now, I smile more often to him and I fight less often with him. I take orders in stead of giving orders. There is a change in my behaviors.

"Oh, my god. It is already 7 o'clock. I'll definitely be late for my 7:30 appointment with golden ladies," I thought. I jumped out of bed, checked the email again to make sure the meeting time, it was 7:30 alright. I put on anything available on the floor. "Honey, I'm going to the new Skywalk at Little Wulai in Taoyuan today, see you this evening".

After hopping on my pony scooter, I speeded up to the meeting point from Hsin-tien to Nanking East Road. I ran God knows how many red lights, figuring out several possible excuses for being late, feeling the hair on my arms dancing on my goose pumps in the cool morning breeze, only to find out that nobody was waiting at the meeting point.

It was very strange. Being a group of punctual golden ladies, I didn't believe what I saw. What happened to everybody? Did I mess up with the meeting point? I waited, waited, waited. After 20 minutes, I decided to knock on my friend's door in the neighborhood.

"Lydia, are you still at home? What happened to our outing today," I asked.

"Are you Virginia," Lydia answered the door in a sleeping voice.

"No, I'am Sherry," I replied with a disappointing tone. "Aren't we supposed to go to the skywalk in Taoyuan today?"

"But Sherry, it is Monday. We will go to the Skywalk tomorrow."

Oh, my god. I thought it was Tuesday without even thinking twice. It was the first time in my life that I was one day ahead of the schedule. I must have grown old, but on the other hand, I felt younger, like a kindergarten girl going home to tell my parents that she missed the date. On my way home, I felt like coming back from the outer space, gaining an extra day in my life. I tried to look around myself to look for the enlightening signs from the Almighty above, why me?

"Honey, I'm back, see you this evening." When I opened the door, my husband was in a shock to see me. He gave me a worried look before he left home. Me, I had better thing to do. I returned to my bed to catch up the sleep.

Before noon, I opened up my emails, I found a comforting message from Lydia, informing me of a recent medical discovery among seniors, the AAADD, Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder. Thank God, there's a name for my behavior. I am not alone. Don't laugh -- if this isn't you yet, your day is coming!!

Talking about attention decifit disorder, it is no news to me. When I was in grade school, I loved to look out of the window to watch the students play on the ground. One day, I watched the physical education instructor call, "One, Two," the students replied, "Three, Four". I also shouted "Three, Four" in the classroom. I was called upon to stand in front of the classroom for the day.

When I grew older, I had more money in the pocket, I never took home the things I planned to buy. Often that I wanted to a shirt, I ended up with a pair of shoes, a kitchen knife, and a bottle of red wine in my hand.

As I got older and wiser, I couldn't remember how many times I left the keys on my scooter. I spent most of my day searching for my reading glasses. One day, I spent the entire day to find my house keys. After I gave up, I found them in the vegetable bag in the refrigerator.

Aging is irreversible, so is AAADD inevitable. Last Thursday, I was early for the Toastmasters meeting in the evening after an exciting shopping for a day. I decided to have a good a cup of coffee at the Mos Burger in the neighborhood of the meeting venue. After my coffee came, I realized I couldn't find my purse. I thought maybe I just left it in my scooter. So I took it easy. But my mind was still wondering what if I didn't leave the purse in the scooter. After coffee, as I had expected I couldn't find my purse in my scooter. I became panic. I couldn't recall where I left the purse. Maybe I left it at the counter of an accessory shop I just visited, but I was not sure. I couldn't remember anything at all.

I must return to the accessory shop as soon as possible. On my half way to the accessory shop, I became panic. I was not sure about myself. I thought maybe I left my purse on the coffee tray at the Mos Burger. So I returned to the Mos Burger to dig in the trash can. I couldn't find my purse, but I found some false teeth, to my surprise.

When I rushed to the shop running a few red lights and against several traffic signs, the clerk gave me a smile and returned my purse! What a relief to find my purse! In the evening, I told my husband about the story. He suggested I see a doctor to have Ritalin prescribed!

C'mon, you can get closer! See the wrinkles and blemishes on my face, the signs of aging after more than a half century exposure to the sun and gravity? They can be gone next week if I meet with my plastic surgeon this week! But how about the wrinkles and blemishes in my brain? I must have some for sure. Who doesn't by my age? Will I allow someone to open up my head? Nope!

About AAADD, I really couldn't care the less. While I can still remember my name, I can still find our way home, I am happy. All I can think of is to have fun till one day I don't even know how to put the alphabets of AAADD in the right order.