Like Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot, I have a lot of concern for the little gray cells as I continue to
age season, having cruised by a milestone birthday this month. So I'm practicing guitar, which is supposed to be great for memory, hand-eye coordination, motor skills and self-esteem (sooner or later). The self-esteem part is slow in coming, and every practice session is a humbling experience. I'm up to two guitar lessons a week and since my ever-patient maestro never fails to stoke my confidence, I'd take three lessons if it weren't so exhaustingly hot out there.
To keep me honest, I've begun practicing with a website called
Compound Time, which provides a timer and a recorder (which I haven't learned how to use). I've noticed most of my peers using Compound Time are learning Chopin, Schubert and Mozart, while I'm playing Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead and Muddy Waters. But it's sort of inspiring rubbing elbows with such ambitious students.
Then there are games on
Lumosity.com. I've shunned cards, dominoes, video games and puzzles my whole life, feeling I have better things to do with my time. So this month when I signed up for a year of Lumosity (my birthday present to myself), there was a lot of resistance to overcome, and I still don't honestly consider it fun. Every morning Lumosity emails me with the day's five games, and when I've done them I can keep training with numerous other games. Luckily I can pause them if the phone rings or Ozzie the kitten starts walking over the keyboard. If the Capt walks into the room I'd better hit the pause button or I'll crash and burn even if he isn't talking to me. There are certain games involving math and vocabulary that still stymie me, and I groan when they come up.
After each session, there's a breakdown showing how I fared compared to previous days, and how I stand among my age group. Today I finally got up the nerve to look at the comparisons and found that although my speed is below average, my scores are a little above average in memory, problem-solving and flexibility.
My doctor recommended vitamin B-plus, exercise, eating salmon or other cold-water fish (hard to find here in Mexico), and changing up my routine to keep my mind sharp.
I've always had a somewhat lazy mind, prone to daydreaming and procrastinating, and I wonder what I might have accomplished if I'd spent more time sharpening my intellect. But it's never too late, they say, as long as we're breathing. What's next: Sudoku?
