Some weeks just seem to be overfull of mental obstacle courses – over this wall, through that muck, around the barrier, dodge the danger zone, swim this channel, start this next obstacle course.  And again.  Oh my.

photo credit: Wikipedia, Marine Pull ups

The brainy neuroscience folks like to tell us that this is good for our minds, keeps us sharp.  Hmm, I feel more like I have a puddle in my head after a couple of days like this and can’t be trusted to decide what’s for dinner.  I don’t really care in those moments that I might be lowering my risk of dementia.  In fact I tend to feel slightly demented after too many days of intellectual calisthenics.

One good puzzle here and there and I agree, my brain is the better for the exercise.  For instance in the calm quiet as I write this, it has been a good challenge to remember how to spell calisthenics.  (My fingers don’t want to spell it correctly and resent that I keep using the word.)  It’s when there is a relentless string of exercises that things get wearing.  Like I’m in my own extended, real life version of a disaster movie.  How much more can be piled on?

(That last question is rhetorical, I don’t really want to find out.  I thought that I better put that point out there, just in case some force wants to explore the answer.)

Well, the sun is shining and that is a November feat not to be ignored, so perhaps I should take a break from intellectual exercise and go get some of the physical kind.  The leaves need to be raked, so I’ll think about that as I take a walk and soak up some sun rays.

How have you exercised your own mind lately?  And how do you feel about it?

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