Brain health and Dame Judy
I’ve just been watching (please read in a posh English accent), an absolutely delightful documentary that interviews four wonderful old English theatre actresses, Judy Dench, Joan Sutherland, Maggie Smith, and Eileen Atkins. It’s called Tea with the Dames.
I’ve always found reading or hearing of others lives and thoughts a very enriching experience and this was no exception. These ladies have lived fascinating lives and have all been through ups and downs that many can relate to, although playing opposite Lawrence Olivier (one of the most famous actors ever for those unaware), is probably not relatable for most of us, however, we can imagine…ahhhhh.
One wonderful bonus from this mesmerizing documentary is that I am enjoying all my thoughts coming to me in a FABULOUS English accent….. trust me…I sound just ‘magnificent’.
The other, less self-centred bonus
While I was soaking in the wit and humour from each of these ladies. I was struck with the lost art of repartee, quick-witted direct communication in our modern society. More and more, electronics have become our main form of learning and communication…..personallyI feel that I have lost a lot of that ability even though I grew up largely without electronic distraction and plenty of note writing and outdoor play, let alone the proceeding generations who are mainly indoors and bent over some device, thumbs moving wildly.
I promise this is NOT a modern society put down piece as I am adamantly positive about our future as a species even when it can often seem to be hurtling down a terrible slope (example Trump being Trump…and STILL president! My God)
I do believe/ hope, there will be a swing in the reverse direction, back to older values like those of outdoor play, falling over, getting hurt without a helicopter parent racing in to soothe, and manners where men (and women) will once again open the doors for others. Probably the main reason I feel confident about this and don’t get too despondent is that eventually the link between being sedentary and eating processed food with the diseases of dementia, diabetes, cancer, etc, will be proof enough that even the naysayers will quieten down. It will take to go this mainstream….our governments always are the slowest to learn……. but I think it will happen.
This links to the next point and if you have remained with me this far through my waffle, this is the reason for this article.
What do you wish you had changed or known when you were younger?
Each woman was asked this question and AS THEY WERE LAUGHING AND TEASING EACH OTHER ABOUT HEARING AIDS and diminishing eyesight, Dame Joan said that she wished she had known how important our brain health is. She mentioned that it's not apparent when you are younger, how much the health of the brain affects us, but it becomes quite clear when you get older how important it is. Dame Judy now does her best to look after her mind, but she wishes she had started younger.
Each woman agreed and they all said this was the one thing they would all have changed and looked after their brain health from their forties.
I wrote a few articles on brain health last year as I noticed many of us are noticing memory loss, brain fade, or worse with too many of our family and friends being diagnosed with dementia or cognitive issues.
Its NEVER too late to start helping your brain and the wonderful bonus is that all things that help your brain also help the rest of your body and that means you are happier and are probably enjoying your life a lot more.