For decades I could steal anyone's song, only wrote them down to put guitar chords to them, and left the book at home. Gradually I found that I needed the book if I was to play guitar and then one day I could not remember the words. I wrote down every song I could remember singing after that and a few years ago I copied them all out in a larger notebook because I couldn't read the small print I used to write. Last week I met a neighbour of 35 years and did not recognise her. The memory fails, the eyes fail - the brain fails. It is not, for some of us, a failure to learn, just a failure to be immune to the passage of time. I might get an electronic device - but before I pop my clogs, I'm hoping for something cybernetic......
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