Do Not Fear Old Age
By Harold Miller Email: hmiller@mcsmms.com
Soon I’ll celebrate my 90th birthday.
It won’t be a real kick-up your heels celebration, but rather a loving gathering of family and friends whom I have gathered through all these years.
The director of the George Washington University School of Medicine claims that the brain of an adult is much more practical than it is commonly believed. At this age the interaction between the right and left hemispheres of the brain becomes more harmonious, which expands our creative possibilities.
Therefore, among people older than 60 you can find many personalities who have just started their creative activity (think of Grandma Moses who started painting at the age of 80). Of course, the brain is no longer as fast as it was in your youth. However, it gains flexibility. Therefore, with age we are more likely to make the right decisions and less exposed to negative emotions.
The peak of human intellectual activity occurs around age 70, when the brain begins to function at full strength.
Over time the amount of myelin in the brain increases, a substance that allows the rapid passage of signals between neurons. Due to this, the intellectual abilities increase by 300% compared to the average.
Also interesting is the fact that after 60 a person can use two hemispheres at the same time. This allows you to solve much more complex problems.
Professor Monchi Uri, from the University of Montreal, believes the old man’s brain chooses a path that consumes less energy eliminating the unnecessary and leaving only the right options to solve the problem.
A study was conducted that included different age groups. Young people were very confused when they took the tests, while those older than 60 made the right decisions.
According to the New England Journal of Medicine, these are characteristics of the brain of an elderly person:
Neurons in the brain do not die as everyone around you says. The connections between them simply disappear if you don’t engage in mental work.
Distraction and forgetfulness arise due to information overload. Therefore, there is no need for you to concentrate all your life on unnecessary trifles.
From age 60, persons making decisions don’t use one hemisphere at the same time as young people do, but they use both hemispheres.
Conclusion: If a person leads a healthy lifestyle, moves, has sustainable physical activity and is fully mentally active, intellectual abilities don’t decrease with age; they simply grow and reach their peak at age 80-90.
Don’t be afraid of old age. Strive to develop intellectually. Learn new crafts, make music, learn to plan an instrument, draw pictures and dance. Be interested in life, meet and communicate with friends, plan the future, travel as best you can. Don’t forget to go to shops, cafes and concerts. Don’t be silent alone. It’s devastating for anyone. Live with the thought that all the good things are still ahead of me!