I agree with this, but I think what I actually store from my wide-ranging reading is more the index than the detail because I know I can always go back to the full story if I need to. So, while I can recall the highlights (“Yes, I read something about that a while ago…”), most of the particulars escape me when my mind used to be a steel trap for detail. There was a time when I needed to be able to pull that detail from my head; now I hold all knowledge in my hand.
OTOH, I may be blaming technology instead of aging. A few years ago, I posted on the Memory and Aging thread that I was experiencing:
a notable decline in the ability to find the right word quickly, and it still scares me as I used to be able to speak rapidly and fluently without thinking. Now, I feel like I’m slowly searching my word quiver and still ending up with a lame arrow, a bit off-target. I’ve also started to do things like opening the wrong drawer or kitchen cabinet when reaching for common items that should be reflex. I also can’t recall with certainty whether or not I’ve seen a particular (not recent) movie that I once could find instantly in my mental library. What frightens me is that I used to be known for my memory, almost photographic. That is completely gone. My memory palace is failing me. I don’t think anyone notices the decline because they can’t see my mental search and I function well, but I am becoming depressed about it.
Perhaps it is more comforting to believe my decline is caused by my iPad rather than the advance of the Grim Reaper.