Discussion Groups / English Usage / December 2007

Oh, this will be fun!

When we become senior citizens, our minds are also
much the older. We know when we become old we will
lose a significant amount of cognitive ability and
a very significant amount of memory ability.

Some of this loss of mental capacity is contributed
to natural brain cell death. This is unavoidable.
Much of this loss is contributed to not using our
minds as much as when younger; we are retired and
think a lot less because of less "life" pressures.

The most significant loss, when older, is lessening
of short term memory. Typically, long term memories
remain fairly intact. Short term memories, however,
are shot to Hell. Again, much of this is simply
because we do use our minds as much, when older.

Short term memories become long term memories, if a
memorable event is of significant strength and impact,
such as falling in love, a car accident, perhaps an
assassination of a president, such as Kennedy. These
events reside, first, in our short term memory then
are transferred into long term memory, if important.

Memory is based upon well traveled, frequently traveled
nerve pathways within our minds. The more often you follow
those pathways, the stronger is a memory. Mental exercise
strengthens our memories just like physical exercise
strengthens our bodies.

Telling a story in an active first person present tense
voice exercises our short term memory, and later stores
our memories in our long term memory. To tell a first
person active voice story requires you exercise your mind.
You must use your imagination, must give good thought to
keeping all within a present tense, which is contrary to
our typical education, an education of being taught to
think passive past tense. Active present tense story
telling is a mental exercise.

Telling stories in this voice is exciting, is imaginative,
is interesting and has a greater impact on memory, both
short and long term. I cannot speak for you but when I tell
a story, I live this story during the telling. I experience
events, first hand, within my imaginative mind. I rarely
forget a story whether about me, another or whatever. With
each telling of a story, this story becomes more elaborate,
more detailed, more outlandish and more interesting. I make
a point to challenge my mind to be more imaginative, challenge
my mind to invent and reinvent. I never forget a story.

An active first person present tense story, telling this story,
is excellent exercise for the mind. This exercise strengthens
your mind, strengthens your memories and leads to a better
imagination. This type of exercise fights off and slows down
this inherent memory loss we suffer as we age.

My culture is a story telling culture. This is our way. We
tell stories often accompanied by ceremony, including dance,
song and often animated body movements. All of this contributes
to good mental health.

Amongst the greatest of gifts given to me by my Choctaw elders,
is an ability to be a good story teller, which is a cultural
requirement. This story telling helps to keep my mind sharp
and helps me to retain my memories. I never forget a story.

Have you ever come across a senile Indian? Nope. American Indian
elders have sharper minds than their younger counterparts. This
is a direct result of being active first person present tense
story tellers, this is a result of exercising our minds for life.