We are forgetting the names of things: how they sound, what they mean. It began about a year ago. Once in a while I remembered a word like “skillet” or “plate,” but then quickly forgot it. We were reduced to saying “You know, those things we use to…” cook in, or place food on, or whatever.
But gradually, the phrase “Those things we use to…” became, for us, just another kind of name, and we’re forgetting these, too. We gesture now, wordlessly. We point, we wave our arms silently until the others begin to understand.
But now these gestures, too – we’re beginning to think of gestures as names of all the things whereof we must be silent.
We are forgetting the names of things. How strange it is that a thing could have a name at all. We frequently reflect on that, silently.
Memorable Fancies 
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