I write for many reasons. At the moment (for my Masters) I am writing an essay comparing Narrative research Design with Survey Design. Recently I have been writing interview scripts for interviews that will form part of a Supporting Curriculum Leadership Online project I am involved with and regularly I am writing minutes, copious notes/ action lists, memos and presentation prompts. I have been even known to help write and edit my daughters university assignments (heaven forbid!)

The Soft Mind

In assisting my daughter shape an essay for podiatry I began reading up on neuroplasticity again. I say again because I had bumped around the edges of neuroscience reasonably frequently over the last few years.
You can see what wikipedia says here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroplasticity

For some reason this notion of a softer, more elastic mind has (ironically) stuck in my head and Ive been thinking about how we need to constantly be creating new pathways or revisiting old pathways in order to keep things firing and also to minimise cognitive degeneration.

FaceBook Therapy?

I could be totally off-beam here. I like facebook as an archive of stuff that triggers recollections of times, places and people. I enjoy the timeline feature and once in a while will wander down the virtual memory lane and remember the flight over Antarctica or the beer in Argentina.

Sure, someone could have the same experience if they created elaborate scrapbooks….all that cutting and paper embossing, it’s just not for me! It feels good to stretch back and revisit the memories and bring them into the present again…and science says its good for you too!

Facebook vs Thomas Hardy

This morning a comment appeared in Facebook from the Thomas Hardy page  which was titled the ’40 Most gruesome deaths in literature’. The post ,from Jude The Obscure referred to the terrible scene where Jude’s son from a previous marriage hangs his siblings out of a misguided sense of duty.

I had forgotten that scene and the impact it had my youthful self. As I read the posts from people about its impact on them and, contributed mine, I remembered!
I really remembered where I was, how I felt when I read that scene and I stole from a busy life and a busy day a few moments to reflect.

In my grey matter, I’m sure there were wild sparks as distant memories were accessed and old pathways re-built.

It seems to me that remembering is something worth remembering to make a habit of doing.