If you get a group of people that are closer to the end of their lives rather than the beginning, one common thread of conversation is the quality of life a person will experience at the end. It is accepted that the body will wear out. The heart will weaken. The kidney numbers will go down and joints will ache. It’s all part of the process, but the one thing that scares everyone is the status of their minds.
Our brain is a mystery to most of us. It’s the thing that tells the rest of the body what to do, how to react to stimuli, when to feel pain, and so much more. The essence of our being is housed within the chambers of the brain. Our memories that continue to add up though the years and the past occurrences that contributed to who we are this minute lay claim to our sense of wellness and belonging. We cry when we remember loved ones that have passed and events that meant so much to us. The brain is a massive storehouse.
We worry when we witness our friends and family who are beginning to show signs of fading away. We also worry that it may be happening to us. Every time we forget someone’s name or where we put the keys, we stop and offer up a small prayer that this is normal, and we are fine. I for one cannot use this criterion for I have always had trouble finding my keys.
There are some that prey upon this fear. If you watch television for any amount of time, you are faced with commercials that want you to try the latest remedy for memory. You see smiling faces and active seniors. Then there are the ones that picture an angry elderly patient that is striking out at her loved ones. There is a fix for that one too. The reality of the situation only fuels our fears.
One bit of advice that I have taken to heart is the challenge of giving my brain a workout every day. I challenge myself to a variety of games that makes me use my memory to solve different types of problems. I do not sit and do crossword puzzles in a book. I have several games on my phone. Yes I am one of those people that wake my brain up before I get out of bed.
My daily challenge of Wordle appeals to my background as a teacher. Words are my thing. I just passed the 600 attempts milestone at solving the daily puzzle in the New York Times. I have maintained a 100 % success rate. For the sake of complete transparency, that is an average, as I have missed 3 out of the 600 but the average is rounded to the nearest percent. Two of the three words I missed were words I had never heard of, so I plead ignorance on those two words.
My love of playing cards is satisfied in the playing of Euchre. This brings back many fond memories of sitting around our kitchen table with my dad and learning the strategies behind the game. I must admit my computer partner is an idiot. Some evenings I am found shouting at my phone trying to get an answer to WHY he made clubs trump with only one club in his hand.
The word search games are fun and relaxing. I don’t get too excited over a win. After all, the words are there; you just must find them.
I learned to shuffle sitting at my kitchen table. I would play Solitaire for hours. I seldom would clear the board but found solace in the arrangement of the different suites. There are many types of Solitaire available on the phone and I don’t have to shuffle.
When games are not working my brain, I turn to my computer and write. Yes, this column is a brain exercise. I find peace in trying to put my thoughts on paper, metaphorically speaking. I have written a book to my children and filled it with thoughts of my childhood and family. My children did not know my family, and I do not live in the area where I was born. I wanted to share some of the things that were important in making me who I am. My son read the book and said he was surprised how much he didn’t know about me. Mission accomplished!
My latest brain exercise is the challenge of learning a foreign language. My adopted granddaughter is of Hispanic descent, and my daughter wanted to encourage her to keep in touch with her roots. So as a family, we are learning Spanish. For an hour a day, I study this language. My pronunciation is greatly affected by my English phonics, but I can read the given exercises with some proficiency. It has given me a sense of accomplishment. I must confess I couldn’t roll my r’s if my life depended upon it.
Here’s the thing: I am not sure if my brain is benefiting from my many brain games, but as I daily recognize the weakening of my body, I am bolstered with a feeling I am still holding my own when it comes to cognitive awareness. So if you see me hobbling along with my walker, stop and say Hola. I will answer back with the fact that the train station is near. My vocabulary is limited but growing every day!
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Editor’s Note: This is one of a series of articles and opinions written by a group of retired and current teachers — Ken Ballinger, Billy Kreigh, Kathy Schwartz, and Anna Spalding. Their intent is to spur discussions at the dinner table and elsewhere. You may also voice your thoughts and reactions via The News-Banner’s letters to editor.
