 |
| Search |
|
|
Observer Classifieds
Archives / Search 2003
Send a Letter to
the Editor
Send a Press Release
Staff Directory
|
|
Positive Talk
 According to the 2006 U.S. census, 12.4 percent of the population was over 65 years of age and 24.6 percent were under 18. Today’s estimate is that the over-65 group is closing in on the 18 and under group. It isn’t that we have stopped having children, but rather that modern medicine is allowing us to live longer. Just as the beginning of the baby boom caused problems for schools, this increase in the 65-and-over group is causing problems with geriatric services. Nursing homes have become warehouses for people who are able to exist, but are physically or mentally unable to cope with everyday tasks.
Whether or not you will be able to cope as you grow older may not be entirely within your control, but you certainly can have an impact. Staying physically fit is a definite plus. Physical activity increases blood flow to all parts of the body, including the brain which results in increased mental acuity. You can also do other things that exercise the mind. You cannot stop yourself from aging, but you can slow down the process of growing old. Here are a few things that can be helpful in keeping your mind sharp and your senses keen.
• Keep learning new things. Classes are being taught at all levels in a variety of subjects every day that should be of interest to you. Some universities even provide senior citizens free college classes on a space-available basis. Certainly almost every school system in the United States has night classes that cover such things as beginner computer skills, dancing, Spanish as a second language, and floral arranging. Don’t overlook community recreation programs as a source for low-cost programs. A friend of mine at 85 just learned how to swim in a city recreation program. She was going on a cruise and wanted to be prepared. I think she signed up right after watching Titanic.
• Take some time to talk with children. It is amazing what kind of answers you will get if you ask a question like, “Why is water wet?” Children are not hampered by the restrictions to thought we build up around us as we grow into adults. When they give you an answer, ask them to explain and try to follow their thought process. You may be surprised at the view of the world they will give to you.
• Get a magazine or book on the subject of your dream and read it cover to cover. Almost all of us have something we have secretly dreamed of doing. Start reading about that subject. Remember, reading just five minutes on any subject every day will make you an expert on that subject in as little time as a year. And, even if you do not become an expert, look at the trivia you will have to talk about at parties.
• Learn a new word every week and use it. I always enjoy the Readers Digest section, “Word Power.” It may seem simple, but even the act of learning a new word works the brain and strengthens it. Now try to use those new words to solve the newspaper’s crossword puzzle. You will know you have succeeded when you can work the New York Times puzzle—in ink.
These are just a few ideas to keep your mind healthy and active. A final thought is to use the word “why” often. Just as a child learns by questioning, so can we. Question what you are doing. Question the method you are using. Question the reason for doing it. You will be amazed at the answers you give yourself. You may grow physically older, but that is not a reason to quit thinking.
Hodges Hosts Television Program
Bill Hodges also hosts an interview-format television program, which has been renamed “Spotlight On Tampa Bay.” It airs Mondays at 8 p.m., Bright House cable channel 950 and Verizon cable channel 30.
Appearing on Monday, July 28, is State Representative Betty Reed. Representative Reed, a Democrat, will give us an insight into the happenings during the last session of the Florida State Legislature from a minority party viewpoint. The program will be repeated Wednesday, July 30, at 7:30 p.m. on Bright House channel 949.
It should be noted that Bright House subscribers who cannot get the higher channels can get—at no installation fee and a monthly one dollar fee—a box to allow access to the upper level government and educational channels. Call Bright House for details on the rental. If you are unhappy about having to pay extra to see your government in action, complain to your state representatives and the Hillsborough BOCC which have either caused this situation or been complicit in allowing it to continue.
Bill Hodges is a nationally recognized speaker, trainer, and
syndicated columnist. Hodges may be reached at Hodges Seminars
International, P.O. Box 89033, Tampa, FL 33689-0400. Phone 813/641-0816.
Web site: http://www.BillHodges.com
Copyright 2008 Hodges Seminars International
© Copyright 2008 by The
Observer
News Publications and M&M Printing Company, Inc.
Top of Page
|
|
|
Positive Talk
Latest Headlines
|
|
