Retracing your steps in your mind

[clifffaith]

Cliff drives me up the wall several times a month because he refuses to "retrace his steps in his mind". He simply has no interest in such an exercise, and in fact I find myself wondering if he is actually unable to do this. To me it is so natural "I walked in the door, let the cats in, then the phone rang as I was on the way to the bathroom...". I'm not always successful, but the exercise is second nature to me and he looks at me like I've lost my mind when I try to get him to figure out where he might have left something.

My purse usually lives in my office, but it came upstairs with us last Thursday after my tooth extraction. He had to take me to an emergency chiro appt this morning and had to go back upstairs for my purse. Sitting in the doctor's office, I found ants in my purse as I was looking for my insurance card. Lots of ants. Cliff, where did you find my purse? I don't remember (at this point only ten minutes have passed between finding purse and my question). Finish the paperwork and again I say, where was my purse because wherever it was I need to go back and look for ants. Nothing. Asked him at least twice more over the course of the day and the whole "walk upstairs, figure out where we set Faith's purse, bring it downstairs to her" is as if it never happened.

Of course the item I'm usually trying to help him find by retracing his steps is his sunglasses case! He solved that issue by having three pair, but eventually all three have temporarily disappeared.

 

[rboesl]

Reminds me of a meme I saw once: "I finally remembered why I walked into a room. It was the bathroom, but still." Not all minds work the same way. For instance, I remember the words to literally thousands of songs. But, only when I hear the music. I also remember subject matter I was studying when hearing certain songs. But, unless I establish the habit of leaving my keys in the same place all the time I couldn't find them to save my life.

 

[geist1223]

Several years ago Patti stored her Shot Card and Washington CCW in a safe place. She has not been able to find them since.

 

[VacationForever]

We both retrace our steps to figure out what we were doing when... Yes, your husband is the odd one here.

 

[davidvel]

This drives me CRAZY! My family is with Cliff when something is "lost", by me or anyone else. They simply say "I don't know where it is," and that's it. I then have to put my hypnosis-therapist hat on and walk them through what they did, which is like pulling teeth.

Eventually, I get them to do it and they are simply amazed how we found what was missing, etc.

 

[clifffaith]

This drives me CRAZY! My family is with Cliff when something is "lost", by me or anyone else. They simply say "I don't know where it is," and that's it. I then have to put my hypnosis-therapist hat on and walk them through what they did, which is like pulling teeth.

Eventually, I get them to do it and they are simply amazed how we found what was missing, etc.

Are they any better at finding things in the refrigerator? For Pete's sake Cliff, move a few things around! He stands there with the door open, totally clueless!

 

[WinniWoman]

If I misplace something- being the OCD nut that I am- my brain will not rest until I analyze to death what could have become of it. It could be the most insignificant thing- I still have to try to figure it out.

 

[WinniWoman]

Are they any better at finding things in the refrigerator? For Pete's sake Cliff, move a few things around! He stands there with the door open, totally clueless!

OMG! That is Anthony- my hubby! Drives me insane! I tell him- "BEND OVER! for pete's sake!!!

 

[tiel]

When I was a youngster, my mother bought all us kids jigsaw puzzles for Christmas. She tucked them away so we wouldn’t find them. When Christmas finally rolled around, she couldn’t remember where she had stowed them. Nor could we find for months afterward.

From that point on, everything that was lost in our house was said to be “with the puzzles”. Still use that today in my own house.

Btw, we were somewhat unhappy when we found the puzzles...it was so much more fun not knowing!

 

[Panina]

My other half misplaces his phone and keys often. He will retrace his steps and even look places he wasn’t. I watch and when he comes to ask me to help find the missing item, I usually find it within a few minutes. He looks at the obvious, I look elsewhere.

 

[bizaro86]

But, only when I hear the music. I also remember subject matter I was studying when hearing certain songs. But, unless I establish the habit of leaving my keys in the same place all the time I couldn't find them to save my life.

Interesting! I can only remember the tune to a song if I know the words. If someone gets me started with the words I have a good chance on the tune, but a tune by itself will not stick in my brain.

 

[bbodb1]

Somehow, just somehow, I sense a Netflix/Amazon Prime mini series possibility here........

 

[rboesl]

Somehow, just somehow, I sense a Netflix/Amazon Prime mini series possibility here........

Actually, to me, it sounds more like a Seinfeld episode they missed.

 

[geist1223]

Today I took Felix for a walk at the Dog Park. It is a huge area on Minto Brown Island Park. Multiple trails, high grass, trees, large fields, etc. As a GSP Felix loves it. So we get back to the truck no keys. I am pretty sure I knew the area I lost them. But I decided to redo the walk in the same order we had done the original mile plus. That way I would be walking on the same trails on the same side, etc. I did find the keys. They were where I thought I had lost them.

 

[geekette]

Are they any better at finding things in the refrigerator? For Pete's sake Cliff, move a few things around! He stands there with the door open, totally clueless!

Oh boy, I have to add this for chuckles.

One day, I just got fed up with then-husband's doing same - open fridge and look in it. Then ask me, usually in a different room, "do we have any...." He interrupted me so often for stuff he didn't know if we had that this particular day, it was final straw.

I went in and stepped in front of him at fridge. Demonstrated how knees bend in order to gain visual on other shelves. Our shelves happen to be clear and pull out. I demonstrated how a shelf could be slid out to see what's on it. I also demonstrated how items could be moved to look behind them. No, I was not demonstrating sweetly, I was condescending. I was very very mad, but I tend to get quieter when angry, not louder. I was carefully controlled, completely fed up with him.

I then went on to explain that it was not true that the uterus is a tracking device. Men are supposed to be hunters, hunt down what you are looking for and leave me out of it. I don't ever want to be interrupted again to be asked about something you can find out for yourself. I ended with I Am Not Your Mommy.

That solved the problem for me. No, this had nothing to do with our eventual divorce.

 

[isisdave]

Confession time: I almost always enter Costco without noting the precise location of my parking spot. Perhaps this is because I park, whenever possible, in the same general area. My car's "panic button" on the remote has a range of about 20 feet, so that's no help.

But I don't think it's ever taken more than 10 minutes to find it ......

 

[clifffaith]

Confession time: I almost always enter Costco without noting the precise location of my parking spot. Perhaps this is because I park, whenever possible, in the same general area. My car's "panic button" on the remote has a range of about 20 feet, so that's no help.

But I don't think it's ever taken more than 10 minutes to find it ......

BIG SIGH!

 

[bbodb1]

Oh boy, I have to add this for chuckles.

One day, I just got fed up with then-husband's doing same - open fridge and look in it. Then ask me, usually in a different room, "do we have any...." He interrupted me so often for stuff he didn't know if we had that this particular day, it was final straw.

I went in and stepped in front of him at fridge. Demonstrated how knees bend in order to gain visual on other shelves. Our shelves happen to be clear and pull out. I demonstrated how a shelf could be slid out to see what's on it. I also demonstrated how items could be moved to look behind them. No, I was not demonstrating sweetly, I was condescending. I was very very mad, but I tend to get quieter when angry, not louder. I was carefully controlled, completely fed up with him.

I then went on to explain that it was not true that the uterus is a tracking device. Men are supposed to be hunters, hunt down what you are looking for and leave me out of it. I don't ever want to be interrupted again to be asked about something you can find out for yourself. I ended with I Am Not Your Mommy.

That solved the problem for me. No, this had nothing to do with our eventual divorce.

Where's the camera on the fridge when you really need it????

 

[stmartinfan]

One of my adult daughters is completely unable to trace her steps back to try to find something, or to even think through when she last remembers having the item. So when it becomes a crisis I end up helping her search and usually find it quickly. I had attributed it to her autism (she is high functioning) but perhaps it's a trait she has in common with others. The “find my I phone” app has been a lifesaver. I've thought about trying those small tracker tags for her keys and wallet.

 

[WinniWoman]

Oh boy, I have to add this for chuckles.

One day, I just got fed up with then-husband's doing same - open fridge and look in it. Then ask me, usually in a different room, "do we have any...." He interrupted me so often for stuff he didn't know if we had that this particular day, it was final straw.

I went in and stepped in front of him at fridge. Demonstrated how knees bend in order to gain visual on other shelves. Our shelves happen to be clear and pull out. I demonstrated how a shelf could be slid out to see what's on it. I also demonstrated how items could be moved to look behind them. No, I was not demonstrating sweetly, I was condescending. I was very very mad, but I tend to get quieter when angry, not louder. I was carefully controlled, completely fed up with him.

I then went on to explain that it was not true that the uterus is a tracking device. Men are supposed to be hunters, hunt down what you are looking for and leave me out of it. I don't ever want to be interrupted again to be asked about something you can find out for yourself. I ended with I Am Not Your Mommy.

That solved the problem for me. No, this had nothing to do with our eventual divorce.

OMG~! Hilarious!

 

[WinniWoman]

Confession time: I almost always enter Costco without noting the precise location of my parking spot. Perhaps this is because I park, whenever possible, in the same general area. My car's "panic button" on the remote has a range of about 20 feet, so that's no help.

But I don't think it's ever taken more than 10 minutes to find it ......

They do have some kind of app for smartphones now that can help with that.

 

[Glynda]

When I was a youngster, my mother bought all us kids jigsaw puzzles for Christmas. She tucked them away so we wouldn’t find them. When Christmas finally rolled around, she couldn’t remember where she had stowed them. Nor could we find for months afterward.

From that point on, everything that was lost in our house was said to be “with the puzzles”. Still use that today in my own house.

Btw, we were somewhat unhappy when we found the puzzles...it was so much more fun not knowing!

I do the same thing. I buy something our daughter or granddaughter loved when I was with them and then went back to buy it as a surprise from some occasion. The surprise is on me when I finally find it long after the event it was meant for! I now have a gift drawer. Doesn't mean the item will be in it, but I'm doing better with it!