If these thoughts (and others) ever give you an uneasy feeling, don't despair. Just because memory takes a holiday now and then it doesn't mean you are losing your mind.

Your brain is constantly bombarded with information. As each piece comes in, it goes into short, medium or long term memory based on how much attention you give to the thought. For example, when you walk into a room and wonder, "Why did I come in here?" it is because you did nothing to remind your brain that the information was important to remember for more than a few seconds. When you temporarily forget a friend's name or your mother's birthday it is your more complex long-term memory that is involved.

When the brain gets information that is different from what it expects, brain cells get stimulated. That's why a routine life is not only boring, it can be a brain deadening experience. Thanks to research, we know that for most people memory only gets worse if it isn't used. Like a muscle, if you don't use it, you lose it. That's good news because there are many things you can do to stimulate the memory brain cells by forcing you to pay attention to what you are doing.

Larry Katz, Ph.D, in his book Keep the Brain Alive, describes a brain exercise program designed to keep your brain agile and healthy in the same way brief periods of aerobic exercise gives you immediate improvement in memory. Here are some suggestions to get you started:

• - use your opposite hand to brush your teeth, style your hair, button clothes or eat meals
• - wear earplugs occasionally to experience the world without sound
• - change your daily route to work or your routine at home
• - do crossword or other word puzzles.

WARNING: There are some serious causes of true memory loss from brain damage or severe emotional trauma. You should be concerned if serious memory loss or forgetfulness happens often or seems to be getting worse. (About 15 percent of Alzheimer's patients have a history of head injury, but the true cause of this tragic syndrome remains unknown.)

Ginkgo and several other herbal products have been touted for improving memory for years. There have been many studies demonstrating that ginkgo may have some benefit on memory of patients with early Alzheimer's disease, but for the majority of us it seems to be a waste of money.

If you want to improve your memory, pay attention.

Now, I've forgotten. What do you want me to pay attention to? (That's a joke.)

P. S. Alzheimer's Disease is an incurable, progressive loss of brain tissue that, in the early stages, causes a person to have difficulty doing and remembering the simplest things. It progresses to bewilderment, becoming difficult to manage, inability to communicate, then physically helpless. If you suspect a family member has Alzheimer's Disease, get help.