O is for Obsessions

This year I decided not to tie myself to a theme.  I wanted to do something that felt more like writing rather than composing posts.  I didn’t want it to be a story that had to be followed from start to finish so what I’ve ended up with are: “Conversations in my Head”.

Wendy?

Yes Alice?

Why are you so obsessed with doing puzzles and crosswords and things like Sudoku, Kakururu and oh I don’t know, all those other foreign sounding things?

You mean Kakurasu and they are mostly Japanese puzzles although I do like the daily Battleships in the evening paper.

Yes I’ve noticed that.  Hubby brings the paper home and you pounce on it.  You often don’t even read the paper you just turn to the puzzles page and get on with the cryptic crossword.  Why?

It’s an obsession!  And I haven’t even begun to mention all the games you play on your i-Pad.

I’m just keeping my brain active Alice.

But I do that for you.  All the nice chats we have keep your brain ticking over.

Well yes they do but not enough. 

And there’s all the reading you do.

Well you have to read if you want to write. 

Yes but why is it so important?  Why are you so obsessed?

It’s not an obsession. It’s

A compulsion?

No, it’s more a fear.

A fear?

A fear of ending up like my mother.

But you loved your mother.  You’ve told me what a lovely person she was.  Always wanting to help others, kind, unselfish.

She was.  But she also developed Alzheimer’s and ended up being nothing like the Mother I knew and loved.  She also didn’t know me.

Oh!

Yes oh Alice!  Can you imagine your brain not working how you want it to work?

No I can’t. 

Neither can I but I work on the theory that if I keep it busy and active it won’t start to deteriorate.

Oh so you’re exercising your brain.

Yes.

Hmm when are you going to start exercising your body because that’s already going downhill?

Thanks!

Well it’s all very well having a working brain but surely you need to keep your body in good shape too.

Well of course but if I had to choose between losing the plot or failing physically I know which I’d rather.

But you’re often losing the plot.  You tell me so.  You go upstairs for something and then forget what you went up for.

Often Alice that’s because you have distracted me.

Why is it always my fault?

Because it’s easier to blame you than myself. 

But doesn’t hearing voices in your head suggest you’re losing your marbles?

Hearing voices?  I can’t hear anything?

Yes you can, you hear me, even if you don’t always listen!

What?  Did someone say something? 

No?  Oh well, time to do some puzzles.