Are two heads better than one?
A study published in the British Medical Journal this summer links marriage with lower cognitive decline.
However, my extensive research which stems from observing two half-wits in our household has me wondering.
Brain No. 1: Wheres my coffee? I was drinking it just a minute ago, and now its disappeared!
Silence while other intellect engages.
Brain No. 2: Well, where did you set it?
A heavy sigh fills the air hoping to bring to mind the idea that the other brain isnt much help.
Brain No. 1 then walks backward in her mind, only to find no one is home. The missing cup has shown up in a totally unexpected place the microwave oven.
It is this kind of glitch in our hardwire that has us or at least me worried. The amount of absentmindedness sandwiched between our two brains is mind-boggling not just lately, but for years.
Summer hats, reading glasses and keys disappear into a black hole like missing socks in the laundry. But occasionally they come to light.
Once while flying down a two-lane road at 60 mph, a car began to follow us closely. We sped up. It accelerated, too. Then, in a burst of speed the car raced to overtake us.
We glared at their vehicle. Had they lost their mind?
No. It was us.
The car-chasing couple, wearing a knowing smile, held up a scribbled makeshift sign: YOUR KEYS!!
Brain No. 2 looked at the ignition, his keys were securely in place.
Where are your keys? he asked as Brain No. 1 a bit scattered, searched frantically. Upon further thought, and with the wind whipping through her hair, she spotted them DANGLING IN THE PASSENGER DOOR!
But its not just me.
Once when I was gone for a few days, my husband noticed a framed photo collage of his hiking experience with daughter Tiffany. Moved with emotion, he called her only to learn that shed given it to him years earlier.
To aid our aging brainpower weve tried crossword puzzles, dance lessons and the Web site MentalFloss.com. All weve gotten for our effort is low self-esteem.
But maybe, as the study indicates, the way to beat the odds of developing dementia or Alzheimers is staying married through midlife and beyond.
Thats fine with me. I sort of like old whats his name.
Similar stories:
Grateful to be part of something big: life
Grateful to be part of something big: life
Life, life forms and lifeguards are on our mind this week. Several stories have reminded us that we're all part of something bigger than ourselves, but each of us is still an important part.
Lifeguard honored
Lifeguards are trained to perform CPR, but when you get down to the basics of the lifeguard's job, most of their time is spent sitting in the sun, telling kids to walk instead of run and making sure no one takes cuts in line for the slide.
Faces of cancer: Richland dad makes sure every minute counts
Faces of cancer: Richland dad makes sure every minute counts
When you face an uphill battle against a deadly disease, you find strength wherever you can.
Josh Pearson of Richland spent eight years in a job where he was gone more than he was home. As he fights brain cancer, he is making every minute count.
"My biggest focus is my wife and kids," said Pearson, 36. "I traveled for eight months a year for the past eight years. Now, I'm home. When my kids get home, we're playing and having a good time."
State Supreme Court rules Richland woman can proceed in negligence case
State Supreme Court rules Richland woman can proceed in negligence case
A Richland woman who claims her chances of recovering from a stroke in 2004 were hampered by the negligent care of three doctors and Kadlec Regional Medical Center should be able to take her case to trial, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday.
A Benton County Superior Court judge ended Linda Mohr's medical malpractice lawsuit in April 2009, saying she did not show how she might have had a better outcome if the medical treatment had been different.
Linda Mohr, now 68, is permanently brain damaged. A quarter to a third of her brain tissue was destroyed by a car accident-induced stroke, which has affected her motor control, sensation and spatial reasoning, according to the Supreme Court's majority opinion.
Editorial board give personal reflections
Editorial board give personal reflections
-- Editor's note: The Herald's editorial board members have a Christmas tradition of taking a break from commenting on the issues of the day to offer personal reflections on the holiday season. This year, members were asked to reflect on a humorous Christmas memory.
Humor is in the eye of the beholder
I suppose it must be something inherited from the Norwegian side of the family. As Christmas approaches, we can lean toward excessive perfection, especially in our Christmas trees.
Man of the House: Plumbing as a spiritual matter
Man of the House: Plumbing as a spiritual matter
What a daughter observes:
Print
Email Story
