Never-ending Road to Self Improvemnt

Recently I have begun to wonder if I'm slipping. I don't feel as mentally sharp as I want to feel. This feeling may, in fact be due to my lack of observation. Last week Marc had left a GIANT box sitting in the library that I just walked past - and it took me 30 seconds to see the cookies he left next to my computer. Sad, I do realize that perception isn't brain power and that to really feel better, I need to hang around dumber people. Who knew it would be a curse to have smart & interesting friends?

But still, I was wondering, if the brain muscle, like my other muscles, would respond to exercise. On Saturday's trip to the land of big-box-retailers, we visited Barnes & Ignoble to check up on some books. I found a full table devoted to ways to improve one's brain. And so I picked up "Dr. Kawashima Train Your Brain More"

I didn't know that I wasn't the only one in search of brain improvement. I knew that there was the mesa-validation section... books & puzzles to make those with high intelligence yet low levels of success feel better about themselves. But I didn't know there were better brain diets, books about neuropathology and theory books on how to increase brain function.

This book, however, appealed to me and my fitness sensibilities. Dr. Kawashima has done research to see what activities increase brain level functioning... and it is simple! Simple math - doing easy calculations (if you can call 7 x 8 easy, I NEVER remember what that is, but 6 + 9 is easy) - reading aloud and writing are all ways to better stimulate your brain, become more creative and, oh gosh, can't remember the last thing - oh yeah, remember more things. Also the name is clearly Asian, possibly Japanese and that is even better!

So I started, I did the preliminary tests - how long does it take for you to count, aloud, to 120? A Stroop test, where you say the color of the word printed, not the word, ie when reading "Green" the response is "blue" not "green"and finally, memory test. I got 13 words, which was good, but I credit that to mnemonic tricks I was taught as a teenager.

We shall see if this has impact. My blogs could be come better written, more mathematically sound and, possibly, more creative. We can hope! 60 days to a better brain and then I have to find ways to keep it up or I will get a flabby intellect again. Boo.