Small Things Count

Morning routine: get up, put on the coffee, feed the bird and dog, bring coffee back to bed, turn on the news, try not to get depressed…. This morning I noticed a change in my attitude or outlook as I watched the news. I used to be horrified to hear of a shooting somewhere, killing and harming from one or many people. Then my horror was softened into a disbelieving head-shake. This morning I noticed something new. I found myself tuning into the news and asking, Where will the shooting be today?”

Because it’s happening every day, including today.

And it shouldn’t.

And I should NOT think of it as “business as usual.”

Today’s Thursday Thought quote addresses something we face any day of our lives that we disagree with someone or someone disagrees with us. We don’t know who said it, but it’s good advice:

I have a friend who owns horses, so I’ve heard some superstitions from her. I didn’t realize there were so many, though. They involve horseshoes, butter churns, the colors green and grey, pixies–all sorts of things. Just for the fun of it, check out these superstitions at Butter-Stealing Witches and 9 Other Bizarre Superstitions about Horses.

COULD be both, but not necessarily, I recently learned.  Like many people, I thought they were the same thing and used the terms interchangeably. Now I know better.  Here’s a brief, oversimplified explanation:

Dementia comes in a dozen types.  It can be caused by Parkinson’s Disease, Huntington’s Disease, alcohol, lessened blood flow or or extra amount of a certain protein to the brain, fluid around the brain and spinal cord, and other factors.  The general term “Dementia” refers to a loss of memory and other mental abilities  severe enough to interfere with a person’s daily life.

“Alzheimer’s Disease” is what we’re more familiar with, as 50%-70% of cases of dementia are Alzheimer’s.  That’s why we tend to think of any loss of mental functioning–even problems with memory and language that are noticeable to others but don’t interfere with the person’s daily life (“Mild Cognitive Impairment)–as at least beginning Alzheimer’s.

But one form of dementia doesn’t lead to another.  My having Mild Cognitive Impairment doesn’t mean I’ll necessarily end up with Alzheimer’s.

My new understanding is causing me to look at some of my older friends in a different light and, I admit, treat them a bit differently.  That’s a good thing.  That’s a positive thing.

A story on this morning’s news caught my attention, especially since it’s the day after Mother’s Day. Welch’s (yes, the jelly company) did a study of 2000 women who are full-time mothers of kids aged 5 to 12. After they crunched the numbers, they determined that those moms actually work what amounts to 2.5 full-time jobs, averaging fourteen hours a day and working from 6:23 in the morning to 8:31 at night. All without a paycheck.

Something to think about when we hear someone accuse stay-at-home moms of being too lazy to get a “real” job or too self-indulgent or just plain lucky that her husband works so she doesn’t have to.

As we get older, we worry when we forget things. “Is my mind going?” we ask ourselves. “If I was younger, I’d remember where I put my keys.”

Not necessarily. There’s a reason we forget things. And it has nothing to do with age.

I don’t often recommend a Ted Talk, but this one, by Lisa Genova, really explains what’s going on in our brains, why it is we remember to start dinner early and forget where we put the keys. Listen to How Your Memory Works–and why forgetting is totally okay.

Today’s Thursday Thought quote/picture boils down achieving a happy life to just two principles:

This is Mental Health Awareness Month. It got me thinking about how our country is doing along these lines, especially after more than a year with Covid-19. I ran across this map — Prevalence Of Mental Illness 2021 — and thought I’d share it with you. The map itself is color-coded to show the mental health status of each state. In addition, it gives the ranking of each state, in general, for adults, and for youths. I also found the Rankings in Care interesting. You might want to take a look.

IF YOU ARE, THIS DAILY KOS ARTICLE IS A MUST-READ: CLICK ON TEACHERS.

(For teachers everywhere: Happy National Teacher Appreciation Day!)

I don’t know who said this (it was sent to me), but today’s Thursday Thought makes a whole lot of sense.