A2   Wednesday, February 12, 2020
The Dalles Chronicle
SENIOR NEWS
Try these tricks for
remembering names
How many times have you
felt embarrassed because you
just met someone and a day
later you could not remem-
ber their name, no matter
how hard you tried? Don’t
worry, it happens to folks of
all ages. The good news is
there are tricks you can use
to improve your ability to
remember names.
The first trick is the
foundation of all
memory: focus. You can’t
remember anything if you
don’t first encode it in your
brain by paying attention.
With names it can be par-
ticularly difficult when you
meet someone for the first
time: you may be anxious or
thinking of what to say next
instead of focusing on the
person’s name.
Repetition. When
you meet someone,
use their name in the first
words of your conversation.
And then repeat their name
several times in the conver-
sation. Try “Hello Betty, it’s
very nice to meet you Betty.
Now, Betty, how long have
you worked there?” You’ll just
have to explain that you may
sound like a dork, but they’re
so important you really want
to remember their name.
Use your other sens-
es. See their name
by writing it out in order to
utilize your visual memory.
By using different senses, you
can improve your ability to
remember. The smell of fresh
bread or a particular song
can flood me with forgotten
memories.
Make associations.
Associate their name
to a physical or personal
characteristic. You might
also try alliteration, such as
“Dollar Dave” or ‘Big Bertha”
(or maybe not!) In my case I
used rhyming words when
I met Doreen in college.
I can still remember her
name by thinking of “Boring
Doreen”—and she wasn’t
boring at all. But it worked.
Create cues. The
more you work at
remembering a name, the
sooner you will be able to
recall it. For example, try cre-
ating cues. Make a list of the
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
the present location of
Sawyer’s Ace Hardware and
Rental (they changed from
TrueValue to Ace Hardware
in 2018) was previously the
site for Safeway. I received
Scott
correct answers from John
McKay
Huteson, Cheri Brent, Laura
Comini, Lana Tepfer, Ronda
people in your book club and Spies, Ron Nelson, Jeanne
review it until you have all the Pesicka, Virginia Johnson
and Mary Ann Hass, this
names memorized.
week’s winner of a quilt
By using these five tricks,
you can improve your ability raffle ticket.
to remember names. Then
•••
you’ll be able to impress your
new friends by remembering
Most of you probably
their names as they stammer remember the old-school
trying to recall yours!
desks bolted to the floor with
a writing table you could
•••
open so you could cram your
books and papers inside.
The program for the
And a pencil or pen slot
2020 Original Courthouse
carved along the front edge
Regional History Forum on
of the top, with a two-inch
Saturday, Feb. 15, is “Rufus
diameter hole in the front
and the Army Camp that
right corner. For this week’s
Helped End World War II.”
“Remember When” question,
Cal McDermid, director of
what was that hole once used
Fort Dalles Museum and
for? Email your answer to
a Sherman County native,
mcseniorcenter@gmail.com,
explores the unique settle-
ment in Old Wasco and later leave a message at 541-296-
4788 or drop off your answer
Sherman County, and the
role of Camp Rufus in devel- scratched in the top of an
oping technology for bridging Antique Vintage Industrial
Double School Desk—which
the Rhine.
will set you back only $165.
•••
Well, it’s been another
week trying to keep it straight
Clarification from last
and narrow. Until we meet
week. I became aware that
again, as Ernie Sillwell told
in addition to conducting
the 2020 Census, the Census me, “You don’t miss what you
haven’t seen.”
Bureau conducts over 100
surveys throughout the
•••
country—some of which
includes visiting households.
“Forgiveness is the fra-
So there is a chance you may grance of the violet that clings
be visited by someone from
fast to the heel that crushed
the Census Bureau before
it.”
April 1 collecting information —George Roemish
for one of the other Census
from his poem “Forgiveness”
Bureau surveys. Still, in this
day of scams and scammers,
Menu
it is good to be cautious. If
anything feels suspicious and
Meals-on-Wheels dinner
you want to verify if the work- served at 12:00 at the Center
Thursday (13): Seasoned
er or even a mailed survey is
legitimate, call 301-763-INFO Chicken Breast (Music - Tom
Graff)
(4636), 800-923-8282 or the
Friday (14): Chicken and
regional office in California at
213-314-6500; or go online at Dumplings
Monday (17): Salisbury
www.ask.census.gov.
Steak
•••
Tuesday (18): Turkey and
Gravy with Mashed Potatoes
Sawyer’s TrueValue was
Wednesday (19): Pork
located where the St. Vincent
DePaul Thrift Store is today, Chops
Senior
Living
Wyden to hold town hall Feb. 15
• Jefferson County 10 a.m. Performing Arts Center, 412
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden
Buff St., Madras.
will hold a town hall in The Friday, Feb. 21, at Madras
Dalles 11 a.m. Saturday,
Feb. 15, at the Fort Dalles
Readiness Center, 402 E
Scenic Drive.
Wyden will also hold
town halls this month in
Tillamook, Lincoln and
Jefferson counties.
In fulfillment of his
pledge to hold at least one
town hall each year in each
of the state’s 36 counties,
Wyden has held 966 town
halls statewide to date.
“Open-to-all town halls
in every nook and cranny
of our state are essential to
the ‘Oregon Way’ of civil
discussions about import-
ant issues,” Wyden said. “I
look forward very much to
hearing Oregonians’ ideas,
concerns, questions and
priorities in these upcoming
town halls.”
Wyden will also hold
town halls in:
• Tillamook County 10:30
sent to our darling Mom,
a.m. Monday, Feb. 17 at Port
of Tillamook Bay Officers
Grandma & Great Grandma Beryle
Mess Hall, 6825 Officer’s
in celebration of her 106th!
Row Road, Tillamook.
• Lincoln County 2:30
Pip Pip, we all love you
p.m. Monday, Feb. 17, at the
Newport Recreation Center,
so very, very much!
225 SE Avery St., Newport.
Happiest
Birthday Wishes
CONCEALED CARRY
PERMIT CLASS
Tuesday February 18th
Shilo Inn
3233 Bret Clodfelter Way
The Dalles
Valid in 35-States,
including Washington
Shaun Curtain
360-921-2071
or email: ShaunCurtain@gmail.
com | www.ShaunCurtain.com
6 PM
CLASS
$
80
Oregon Only $ 45 Multi-State
Oregon Included No Fee
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