It turns out that while my memory is fading with age (short-term memory at least) I can still remember things I was taught before the age of 18. I recently discovered that I know many many military subjects well enough to teach Cadets, despite not being taught or practised in them for 7 years.
This leads me to question what has changed in the last 7 years that has made my short term memory so bad. I can remember A-Level maths (both of them) GCSE French, Voice Procedure, Foot Drill and Skill-at-Arms, but I can’t remember most of my Electronic Engineering Degree. After much deliberation, soul-searching and mental lubrication (more on this in a second) I’ve figured out that Alcohol is the key.
At University, I drank. Some might say I drank a lot and some might say too much, but to them I might point out I have only lost my coat once and slept on a park bench twice - quite a sober career for a student. But in general I do worry that excessive consumption has affected my leetle grey cells. Of course it might be because I wasn’t paying attention (the Felix Crossword has a lot to answer for) but I think I’ll never know for sure.
So, kids - Alcohol isn’t big, it isn’t clever and you might forget some stuff - but it is fun. Enjoy it in moderation, because like things good in moderation, it is bad in excess.