THE VIEW

When most people hear the words "the view" they naturally think of Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sherri Shepherd, Elizabeth Hasselbeck and Barbara Walters. Not me.

No dear readers, for me it's Jamais, Presque and Deja.

I would imagine that most of you have encountered dear Deja vu at one time or another. You know, the feeling that you have seen something before even though common sense says this is impossible. Those who claim to have been reincarnated say they experience this frequently. All I know is that I have encountered feelings of Deja vu even though I have serious doubts that I walked the earth prior to this life.

But it is Deja's sisters that are the most intriguing to me.

Presque vu is the term that describes the experience of almost remembering something. When this occurs people often say that what they are trying to think of is "on the tip of my tongue." As I get older, I'm getting to know Presque vu better and better.

Not to be left out of this posting is perhaps the most pesky vu of them all -- Jamais. If you have ever experienced the impression that you are seeing a situation for the very first time despite rationally knowing that you have been in that situation before, then you, too, have met Jamais. Common examples include not recalling how to spell a familiar word -- or -- reading a word you definitely recognize, but now find that you can't remember its meaning -- or -- getting briefly lost in a very familiar place -- or -- thinking a close friend or family member is a total stranger.

Doctors might call these various episodes (for lack of a better word) the result of Alzheimer's disease. A nasty word -- Alzheimer -- and one that could get you confined to a dreaded nursing home, or worse. (Remember, cranky old Alois Alzheimer was a German neuropathologist -- need I say more?)

Accordingly, I herby declare to one and all that any future brain fart on my part is simply the result of a visit by one of the vus, be it Jamais, Presque or Deja.

(Yes, I am openly and defiantly gray!))