Why can't I just look it up online?

Last night, my boyfriend and I were watching tv and I recognized one of the actresses. I remembered that she was on a tv program about twenty or more years ago. I kept saying her name out loud and then I told him what name that she had in a tv show back in the 70’s. Then I put a picture of the little girl who I thought she was. Then I figured out that the name didn’t seem to match the face in my brain.

Then I searched my brain for a picture of the actress’s name that I had just heard and I pictured a girl older than I thought she was. I told him that it wasn’t who I thought it was. He asked me if I wanted to look it up online and I told him that I really wanted to figure it out on my own. He said that I probably would be able to do that. I thought about it a little longer. Then I told him that she was in a tv show with Michael Keaton and he said Family Ties was the show. I told him that was correct, but it was actually Michael J. Fox. This morning, I confirmed it on online that I had figured it out correctly. Yeah me!!

He has often asked me why this little thing is so important for me to figure out on my own and I tell him that I think that it is important for me to use my brain. It is very good for me to retrieve these long- term memories, since my long- term memory is still pretty good. It is my short- term memory that is most affected by this memory impairment. It always makes me feel good that I can still retrieve these memories from my broken brain! I will often do this when I want to remember an artist and a song that I’ve heard. A lot of times, I can even say whether the song was from the 60’s, 70’s or another generation.

Sometimes I can be a little stubborn, which means that I don't usually give up easily! It has served me well so far.