Getting Old Is a Blast!

neuron fractal 1 (Photo credit: Anthony Mattox)

I've been reading books by George Vaillant and Gene Cohen, and they have encouraged me.  Getting old is better than I thought.  I was pushing the concept of getting old as the last chance to get it right, have a good time, and shock the neighbors, but these two writers have shown me that there's more to it than that

The brain makes some fundamental changes as it ages.  Some things we do better than we did when we were young.  Businesses that discriminate against older workers are doing themselves a disservice--these older workers are better at some tasks than younger ones.  Experience counts!

The brain of a younger worker has more neurons, but the older worker has more connections in the neuronal network.  When they are compared side by side, they excel on different things.  Don't think that younger is always better.

When I took brain anatomy, science said that the brain loses neurons from about the age of about nineteen until death.  With the addition of neuro-toxins and other contaminants, we are losing thousands of brain cells a day and we never replace them. 

While it is till true that we lose neurons,  the fact I found so surprising is that we also may form new neurons.  They don't do anything for your memory though.  Your new cells do not contain the old memories.  They are for new information.  You can learn new things and record new memories.  In other words, you can teach an old dog new tricks.  One of the triggers to forming new neurons has to do with activity.  Both physical exercise and mental stimulation cause this formation of new neurons, but it needs to be strenuous activity.  You need to walk, cycle, or swim regularly and get tired.  Mental activity needs to be strenuous to form neurons too.  Tackle hard math problems, learn a new language, or study minute details of war or business.

There is a basic developmental shift in the brain as we age.  Gene Cohen describes the shift that occurs in the amygdalae, two almond shaped structures  in the limbic system that are important in emotional memory and fear.  In younger subjects brain scans show greater activity in the left side of the amygdala when it is stimulated, but in older subjects brain scans reveal both sides of the amygdalae are stimulated equally.  This indicates that older subjects are more controlled in their emotional response.  I guess I thought that old age had negative effects, but the learning and emotion function of the amydalae are better in old age.  They grow more integrated.  The brain has continued to develop. 

 Cheer up, folks!  Like wine and cheese, you get better with age.

Related article:  Don't Believe What You Read About Old Dogs

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• Insight on Brain Development (enfamil.com)

Blogs for Old Folks

I did a little research one day to understand what kind of blogs were available on the subject of getting old.  It was very interesting.  Some sites were collections of posts from other sources.  They offered interesting information, but they did not carry a viewpoint or a single author. 

Getting Older Stinks is this kind.

Another kind of site is written about the subject of aging, however the author is not old.  One I found was very philosophical and I enjoyed her writing very much, but she was looking at old age from the other side.

Rachel Henwood.com was the title.  Check her out.

Some blogs for older folks are hosted and written by experts that give scientific evidence for their opinions.  Some of them are very informative and give you reasons for why you should have something differently before you got old. 

Ageless Life Styles is a good one.  See what you think.

All this reading and researching gave me some insight into what a blog is and what it should do.  I discovered that mine doesn't do any of the things that the biggies do.  There are blogs about investing, medical research, nursing homes, and nutrition, and there are blogs for people who have older relatives, but mine doesn't really fit a category.  I'd like to take a poll, but I don't think I have enough readers to get much information.  Anyone who reads this is welcome to give me an opinion or point me in the right direction.

Here's the question:  What interests you on the Internet and what do you want to learn about getting older?

Keep Your Mind Active!

Getting old seems to get the blame for lots of problems:  fading eyesight, loss of hearing, aching muscles, shortness of breath, and a multitude of others.  Yes, we do slow down as we age, but other issues may be causing some of the problems you notice.   Don't let your doctor brush them off with a nod and a handshake.

When you are satisfied that your bodily ailments are addressed, it may be time to pay attention to your mental state.  I find that memory seems to be getting unreliable.  That doesn't mean I am senile; it doesn't predict Alzheimer's disease, but it does indicate that I need to keep my mind active and able to take in new material.  It wouldn't hurt to rehearse old stuff, either.

If you ever studied a foreign language this is a good time to review your verb conjugations and noun declinations.  It is also a good idea to take up something you haven't done before.  If you never cared for politics, learn the names of the candidates for president.  Match their names with the state they come from.  Learn the names of their wives too.  It might be easier to extend your knowledge of something you are familiar with.  If you play golf, learn the names of the guys on the tour or the winners at Augusta.

If you are trying to keep your facts straight, use newspaper archives to help with dates and events from you past.  Your children and grandchildren will respect your memory if the facts match.  If you are writing your memoirs, refer to the newspaper archives, too, and see if you can find a journal or old letters that give dates and names.  These activities are helpful to oreint yourself.  It is easy to remember things better or worse than they actually were. 

I find that remembering old times and events gives me a warm feeling of love and acceptance.  I enjoy the blessing and love of friends and family that are away or gone.  It is even better if I can report and analyze them for people who weren't there.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/specialists/senior_aging/butler/qa/symptoms-of-old-age/index.aspx

How Old Is Old

Calculating Old

Getting old  is sort of an enigma–nobody can define it.  We take the retirement age and multiply that by how many doctors you see regularly and divide the result by how many people depend on you.  Then there is the logarithm that calculates the actual age and the perceived age combined with how many things you still have to do in your lifetime and you get an exponential result.

There are also the other ages as well–biological, sociological,  phenomenological, and psychological.  Do we really care?  Old people are not really interested in the research or the papers the college students write.  I have read and written a lot about Stage Development.  I really like the concept.  It is sort of a road map to help you understand where you are and how you can enjoy the scenery along the way.

Don’t let the profesional scare you!

The professionals in the field of geriatrics and gerontology are sort of a limited group.  Be kind to them.  They deal with the problems and negative events in the lives of the aging and aged, but they don’t seem to be able to see the benefits and the joys.

Sometimes I get a little silly.  I’m old–forgive me.  But don’t dismiss me or ridicule me or ignore me.  It may be up to me to make sure that doesn’t happen.  Make sure that everyone knows that this, if they are lucky, wll happen to them too some day.

Doctors, nurses, sociologists, nutritionists, etc. see you, well us,  as a problem to be dealt with.  Let them see you as a person to be enjoyed.  We are old, but we still laugh and remember and anticipate.  Make them understand that the person is not the same as the arthritis or the backache; the person is still flying kites and baking bread.  You and I still live a vital and exciting life though some of that lfe is in memory.  Let the memories bless your life and don’t be afraid to share them.

Exercise for a Sharp Mind

Getting old seems to get the blame for lots of problems:  fading eyesight, loss of hearing, aching muscles, shortness of breath, and a multitude of others.  Yes, we do slow down as we age, but other issues may be causing some of the problems you notice.   Don't let your doctor brush them off with a nod and a handshake.

When you are satisfied that your bodily ailments are addressed, it may be time to pay attention to your mental state.  I find that memory seems to be getting unreliable.  That doesn't mean I am senile; it doesn't predict Alzheimer's disease, but it does indicate that I need to keep my mind active and able to take in new material.  It wouldn't hurt to rehearse old stuff, either.

If you ever studied a foreign language this is a good time to review your verb conjugations and noun declinations.  It is also a good idea to take up something you haven't done before.  If you never cared for politics, learn the names of the candidates for president.  Match their names with the state they come from.  Learn the names of their wives too.  It might be easier to extend your knowledge of something you are familiar with.  If you play golf, learn the names of the guys on the tour or the winners at Augusta.

If you are trying to keep your facts straight, use newspaper archives to help with dates and events from you past.  Your children and grandchildren will respect your memory if the facts match.  If you are writing your memoirs, refer to the newspaper archives, too, and see if you can find a journal or old letters that give dates and names.  These activities are helpful to oreint yourself.  It is easy to remember things better or worse than they actually were. 

I find that remembering old times and events gives me a warm feeling of love and acceptance.  I enjoy the blessing and love of friends and family that are away or gone.  It is even better if I can report and analyze them for people who weren't there.

For other hints and inspiration read the following:  http://www.everydayhealth.com/specialists/senior_aging/butler/qa/symptoms-of-old-age/index.aspx

Old Age Is NOT a Disease

Disease or Stage?

Old age is often regarded as a condition to be cured or endured, but I want to campaign for a change in that view.  Illness and failing energy are problems we need to address, but they do not become the focus of our lives.  Even in the midst of illness, we still seek to fulfill our goals.  The minds and the hearts of old people still think and love; our joy and accomplishments take place between office visits.

Stop or Start Again?

The Baby Boomer generation has crossed the line into the retirement community.  One or both members of a couple are likely to be retired now.  They are not content to be dismissed as "old folks."  Many people at retirement age are looking for new opportunities to engage with life.   According to Gene Cohen's Stages of Adult Human Potential Development theory, the Liberation Phase occurs between 60 and the early 70s.  People at this stage may experience a new-found freedom in being their own person.  He describes a new creativity that adds energy and personal freedom in both psychological and literal areas.

New Game, New Rules

Society seems to focus on the things we cannot do as we age, and the aging individuals want to focus on the ways they can enjoy the freedom they have earned.  We are slower and more sedate in our movements, and we may take more pills for our ailments, but the mind is better and the endurance is proven.  Getting old is an accomplishment.  Enjoy it!

Adult Development--What is that?

I first heard about adult development about 1985 when I was in college studying psychology. I had six kids, so I was relatively familiar with child development, but the idea that there are stages in adulthood was a wonderful revelation. At that time I was already 45 so I had accomplished several stages--some of them were out of order. I didn't finish my degree or hold a paying job until I was fifty.

I had already done the parent stages in some measure. My oldest child was in the army. My marriage was stable and we owned a house and were involved in the community. I didn't want to learn about the stages of adult development just for eriudition; I found that the stages explained things very well. Young adults were the ones who brought about women't lib and desegregation, in great measure, because that is the stage of development they were in. Old people volunteer because they want to pass on their wisdom and because they need to feel needed. Young people volunteer because they want their children to have the advantages of scouting or play softball.

There are lots of reasons and explanations for why we do the activites when we do, and most of them have to do with the stage of development we are in. Old age has developmental stages too, I think. When I studied it there had not been enough longitudinal studies to define the stages past 65 or 70. Now I am there and I want to know what those stages are.

 Hobbies may give the later years new and exciting opportunities.

I think the first stage you encounter in old age is the time of grieving for your job. Women whose children have gone to college or gotten married experience the "empty nest" syndrome. I think retirement has a somewhat similar time of adjustment. Even if you did not like the job, it was something to fill the time. Even if you felt underpaid, you got a check. It takes a while to shift your emphasis and find some activity to fill the time and use the energy you formerly spent on your job.

Some people have hobbies or goals, though they may not be profitable, that bring personal satisfaction. Others may take longer to establish a new life structure. This is the nature of a transition. When a retiree has accomplished the transition, he or she is ready to build again. Women have something of a different task here. Often a woman has a household routine that sustains her for a while. If she has retired from an active career, she may experience the same stress a man does, but sometimes the house work and home organization fills her life while her husband has nothing to do. This may be a new order of business. Single or married, this time in life requires a new life structure and new responsibilities occupy your time.

This may be the first task of Old Age. I may have to write a paper and recruit people to enter into a study. How about it--want to join?

A Butterfly Garden for Inspiration and Conservation

Butterfly gardening draws visitors to your flowers. Image via Wikipedia

Beautify your yard, patio, or garden with a with plants that attract and nourish butterflies.  The plants are beautiful in themselves, but the addition of the butterflies makes the setting exotic.

Host Plants

Two kinds of plants are needed for a butterfly garden.  The caterpillars eat leaves of specific plants--these are called "host plants".  The host plant is the place where the female butterfly will lay eggs and the caterpillars will feed after hatching.  Do not spray for bugs and insects.  The caterpillars look like pests, but they are juvenile butterflies.

Nourishment for the caterpillars is often found in weeds and wild plants such as thistles, milkweed, vetch, and clover.  Some caterpillars prefer leaves on trees such as sycamore, elm, and hackberry.  If you have trees that are good host plants, you are half-way there.  Herbs, hollyhock and ornamental kale, or any member of the cabbage family,  are good hosts plants if you don't have trees.  Click here for a chart showing which plants are good hosts for specific butterflies.

After they eat and get fat, the spin a cocoon and develop.  Do not disturb the cocoons and do not touch them when they emerge from the cocoon.  It takes time for them to spread their wings and becomes ready to fly.

Nectar Plants

After they emerge from the pupa stage, they will require different nourishment, usually nectar from flowers.  To plant appropriate flowers, click here.  There are some top favorites of several different species:  butterfly weed, purple cone flower, New England Aster, milkweed, marigolds, oregano, and butterfly bush.

The flower of the Butterfly Weed. It is beautiful and attractive to butterflies.Image via Wikipedia

Conservation

Because of the growth of cities and the shrinking natural environment, butterfly gardening is important to maintain populations.  Butterflies are important in the food web.  Butterflies and caterpillars do not prey on any other creature, but they are at the bottom of the food web.  Many birds and other creatures eat them.  The balance of nature is severely disrupted when they are not available.  Providing a place for them to reproduce is a significant contribution to the ecosystem.  Butterflies, like bees, are important in the pollination of flowers and plants.

A butterfly garden can be as large or small as you care to make it as long as it has both host plants and nectar plants close together.  TheButterflySite.com has plans to help you.  Conservation and beauty combine in this activity to bless your life.

Image via Wikipedia

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What Is This Blog For?

This is a new blog which will replace one I wrote for about a year.  It had issues and an "internal server error" whatever the heck that is.  Anyway, now I'll be here on Blogspot.  I'm so happy.


My old blog was called GettingOldOnline.com.  It dealt with issues related to getting old.  Actually, I am enjoying old age.  I find things that console me in the face of gray hair, problems with digestion, and pain in my joints. I like the feeling of wisdom and confidence that age gives me.  Some people view old age as hopeless without creativity, but I don't. The fact is that developmental psychology research has found that around the time or retirement we experience a liberation phase that restores a spirit of creativity and new adventure in us.


Look for ways to make aging creative and find new resources to spur you on.  I'll be discussing some of these ideas and I'd like to hear from you too.  I don't hate comments.