Wednesday, September 01, 2010 by E.D. Barnett
When I was younger, I recall my grandmother sitting in her
chair, pencil in hand, "working the puzzles." I never inquired any
further. I never asked what "the puzzles" were or why she even did
them. All I ever asked as a kid was, "what are you doing?" She
would respond, "working the puzzles." My curiosity didn't come
until later in life. I went to visit my grandmother one day and
noticed a stack of magazines that were folded to one specific page
-- the puzzle page. As I checked out the magazines, two things came
to mind. First, I finally knew why my grandmother was so caught up
with pop culture. She was reading The Star, a weekly publication
specializing in celebrity fashion, news, gossip, and scandals!
Second, she was still "working the puzzles". But why? Was it just a
hobby or a way to pass time? I finally asked her recently. Although
she commented she did enjoy working the crossword puzzles, it was
primarily exercise for her brain. "It keeps me thinking," she said.
So it made me think, "how does a crossword puzzle act as exercise
for the brain?"
Crossword puzzles, quizzes, and games such as Scrabble, bridge,
and chess are good mental aerobics, according to Good Housekeeping
magazine (which is not a magazine that can be found in my
grandmother's house). I had to do a little digging on the internet
for this information. I was impressed, however, that my grandmother
didn't do any research on how to improve memory or the benefits of
exercising her brain -- She simply worked the puzzles. The
Alzheimer's Association says that mental decline as we age appears
to be largely due to altered connections among brain cells, but
research has found that keeping the brain active seems to increase
its vitality and may build its reserves of brain cells and
connections. In some cases, it's even possible to generate new
brain cells. I can only assume my grandmother recognizes that by
exercising her brain, she is able to remember experiences in her
life and talk about them with others. She didn't need to do any
research, but obviously, some of us do. Crosswords, as well as many
other activities, can help prevent the onset and progression of
Alzheimer's and dementia. Do the research, challenge yourself and
bring on the crossword puzzles.
I relayed this information to my grandmother in a recent visit
and even attempted to join her in "working the puzzles." I'm not
sure what issue of The Star or what number across or down, but we
ran into an obstacle. "I am wracking my brain to figure this one
out," I said out loud. My grandmother responded, "It's ok if you
don't finish the puzzle. I try to challenge myself, but doing the
best I can has always been enough for me." And it certainly has, as
my grandmother just turned 80 and is as sharp as ever! We
celebrated by "working a puzzle!" And by the way, if you are
wondering if Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are still together or if
Lindsay Lohan is out of rehab, just ask my grandmother!
E.D. Barnett
Human Resources Manager
Chicago Senior Living
Assisted Living
in Chicago