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Saturday, May 27, 2017

"Mind"

Great grandpa said, "If you want to keep your mind, you have to use your mind."  He lived by that maxim too.  His mind was great in his late 90s because he read the dictionary.  He studied the Bible so he could discuss it with people who knocked on his door.  He liked talking with children who were learning everything for the first time.

This week I heard that 1 in 3 people will get Alzheimer's by the time they're in their 60s.  I was stunned, since I'm unaware if anyone I ever knew had it, and I've known a lot of old people.  (This can explain a lot about American elections though since most voters are 60+.)

Sometimes I think that people stagnate at about the mental age of 20.  That's about the age they've finished learning how to learn.  Everything they do after that age is a variation of a theme using the mental skills they've acquired by that time.  Even if they learn new things, they're just using the same synapses in their brains to add to their store of knowledge.

When I went to college, I was confronted with the need to actually study.  This was a very unpleasant awakening.  I had managed to skip through school up till that point with very little actual effort, and I liked it that way.  Watching my college classmates studying, I felt both reluctance and curiosity.  Most of them looked miserable, and who wants to join in misery?  At the same time, I wondered how they did it, and I asked them about their study techniques.

Most of them did some variation of endlessly repeating things and reading text books until the knowledge got wedged in their brains.  I'm too dyslexic, and honestly don't have the attention span to dedicate to rote learning.  One friend told me she made up little songs with the lyrics being test facts.  That worked much better for me.  Another told me to take really good notes.  I could do that while attentively listening in class.

Most of the things I studied after college were learned in the same ways, and I got to a different point of mental laziness again.  Again, I found myself liking it that way.  I think it's human nature to do the least amount of work necessary.  It's why we get fat.

At one of my jobs, I found my old methods didn't work as well as necessary for the tasks at hand.  I read and took copious notes.  I listened hard.  I experimented.  I tried to remember what I'd learned in 3rd grade math classes.  I could feel synapses painfully growing in my brain -- and I found that after the initial doubts and misery, I loved it.

The most important thing I learned is that I needed to keep learning.  It didn't really matter what I learned.  I just needed to keep stretching my brain muscles to keep them limber.  I'm not going to get Alzheimer's.  I hope you don't either.  Keep your brain and enjoy learning as a life-long process

Happy Memorial Day for those who live where it is celebrated.  Remember those who died for your freedom to enjoy picnics!

11 comments:

  1. Good words and observations. Interesting spirals on bubble wrap, or did I miss something obvious because I was too lazy to study each circle?

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    1. Thanks! I was merely trying to do something different this week to work on my synapses. No hidden messages :)

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  2. Research is showing us Linda that to keep our brains in tip top condition we need to keep learning something new...languages,skills etc. Your granddad was ahead of his time as he kept stretching his brain. It is frightening re the increase in memory loss and I also wonder if our environment, eating habits etc also play a role? Enjoy your day off, we also have a bank holiday tomorrow but it's just called our late May bank holiday! We off to see Daisy and Jack and Co today xxx

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  3. I wonder about all the passive entertainment we get through computers, phones, and tvs, but food could have an influence too? It has less actual nourishment in it than in the past. I hope you have a great time with the kids!

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  4. Your great grandpa sounds a lot like my dad. He was the same way... too bad for the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses that came a-knocking. 1 in 3?? Wow.

    Enjoy your weekend, Linda!

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    1. I don't know why the Mormons and JWs don't just give up, but at least it inspires others to have a hobby? Somehow I don't think you need to worrry about being one of the 1 in 3 :)

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  5. Thank you for the reminder and motivation. I know I like things I do to feel good, and learning new ways doesn't always feel good. I need to be reminded that it won't always be like that and it's worth it to persevere. And who knew bubble-wrap could be so pretty?

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    1. Yeah, I think things like that about exercise too. I've been working on it. Maybe I'll make bubble wrap sculptures next? Probably not, but it would probably help my brain health.

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  6. That is one of my worst fears. At least I'm using my brain more than I used to. I hope it helps.

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    1. I think writing a book counts as using your brain :)

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  7. I think your grandfather is absolutely right. We need to exercise our brain muscles, like other any muscles, for they not to shrink. Besides it would be boring to not develop or move anyway after the age of 20. The more challenging the better I think. :-)

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