Just came across a wonderful thought
By pyewacket
@pyewacket (43903)
United States
April 17, 2007 10:07pm CST
I just came across this...it's a quote that Henry Ford said:
"Anyone who stops learning is old. Whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young...."
Isn't that a fantastic idea though...
When I graduated college for a awhile there I thought oh, well my learning days are over with..how stupid of me!! I think I'm learning more now than I did when I was younger...and I always do love to learn new things...and yes, I think to continue to learn does keep the mind active..and therefore one's spirits
2 people like this
3 responses
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
18 Apr 07
I've seen so many active, happy, intellegent older people at the place my mom lives. They have continuing education things going on there in the Manor, as well as access to so many of the senior education things outside. I've noticed that my mom, since she had her last few falls & strokes falls asleep all the time & that now, just in the last few years, has seemed to become old.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
18 Apr 07
Oh, can I ever relate...I know a woman who is 74 years old...my goodness, that woman has more energy than I do, I swear--she's very active, still works part time, a real go-getter..now if anyone had the right to be gloomy, depressed and old it'd be her..fourteen years ago, her husband was shot! He had been a cop, and during her married life with him, she was in deadly fear of getting that phone call to say her husband was killed on duty...no...ironically it didn't work that way..it was some punk who held him up...now if anyone should have been depressed and given up in life it should have been her and I'm sure she has her moments..but she moved on...
My mother on the other hand--complete opposite...it was like as soon she became a "Senior citizen" she became old...she took no interest in anything, and basically sat and stared at the four walls...she wasn't even interested in reading a good book, not interested in watching TV...she was ill the last year of her life, granted that...but it was like it only added fuel to the fire to give her an excuse not to move on in life...to change..she didn't want to change...and she certainly didn't want any outside help...so I was her caregiver..oh, joy..and it wasn't only me who was trying to encourage her to do things to keep herself active..everyone was..to join the AARP, or other "Older citizen" group...nada..didn't want any of it--toward the end of her life I just felt enormous pity for her..she really couldn've had a good life had she wanted to, but she didnt--So not only did she become "OLD" mentally, she became old physically...--oh and yes, my mom slept all the time too..
1 person likes this
@GnosticGoddess (5626)
• United States
18 Apr 07
That is a wonderful thought and a very true one!
I know I feel better when I feel I am learning something.
I feel more useful or something :)
Maybe it's just cause I'm keeping my mind busy.
Thanks for sharing :)
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
18 Apr 07
Do you ever feel though sometimes that the more you learn the more you DON'T know..I know I do..I used to know a friend in college..she was a philosophy major...and she came out with some real heavy duty ideas...one was that she likened her brain like a sponge...she just wanted to absorb all the knowledge there was in the world and never stop learning...that's a keen idea too....no?
2 people like this
@GnosticGoddess (5626)
• United States
19 Apr 07
Oh yes I do feel that way. There is so much to learn out there that it would be impossible for one brain to absorb. It keeps life very interesting :)
1 person likes this
@sumofalltears (3988)
• United States
20 Apr 07
Learning is like sunshine you need to soak it all up whenever it comes your way. That is an excellent thought as well as growing older is a given growing up is optional and laughter keeps you young. Do you stop having fun when you get old or do you get old because you stop having fun?...I intend to be the youngest 80 year old woman anyone has ever seen by learning, laughing and having fun.
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
20 Apr 07
Sounds good to me! I hope to be the same way in my 80's--and maybe 90's---did you hear about a woman in Calif...she just celebrated her 102 birthday...she was playing golf and go a hole in one...hey Tiger Woods better watch out--LOL
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