I am grateful that I work and learn on the ancestral and unceded lands of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Nations in Burnaby and on the ancestral and unceded lands of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations in Port Moody
PARKING BECOMES MISSING
2025-2-7
Car missing? “Mind missing”, indeed.
Weakening in short term memory capacity is the prognosis of brain injury. Luckily my condition improved after eight years. It is not a must to take a picture of where my car was parked. Still it is safer doing so when I am in an unfamiliar place.
The proper way is to find a unique standing feature as background, best with number signs of the unit. In the beginning during my profound state of memory loss, it was preferable to take more photos，including the two road boards with the names of the streets at right angles at the corner. To make it safer, a picture identifying the returning route is highly recommended.
To reduce the risk of memory loss, parkings at familiar, eye-catching, or same spots surely helps. It is easier to do when traffic is low. I have more freedom doing so since I didn't work anymore.
In the beginning my wife and I doubted my ability to retrieve my car. So we became tense and it affected my ability to focus. In turn she became more alert and worried about me worrying. A trip going out can be very nerve-racking and energy draining.
Once we parked at the entrance to a park along the coast. I looked back at the parking spot to anchor my memory. On our return trip after walking, I noticed at a distance that my car was missing. Nervousness came at once. Sensing my shock right away, my wife comforted me with a tender touch on my arm and said, “We'll see it when we walk closer.” Actually she was not sure, but was right. I saw my white manual car at a shorter distance. I was relieved immediately.
What was wrong? Brain Injury has eliminated some of my brain cells and deleted some functions. Without adequate references and tools, my cognitive functions were simplified. I chose “be the last car in the parking lane” as the only identifiable factor after parking, overlooking the two additional spots behind. Once I found that none of the two cars at the end was mine, I concluded that mine was gone and panicked. Such clumsy episodes became ordinary in our daily life.