Old dog, new tricks

Making it to the age of 40 was no big deal for me. Turning 50 was annoying. Reaching the 60th birthday was terrifying!

Where the heck did the years go?

Yes, griping about our old age is a refined sport with Boomers. It's actually rather hypocritical. We spend time and money trying to stay alive, then are surprised that we actually get old! Diets for "life extension," pills to keep us looking and feeling younger, and special exercises to keep us from wetting our pants are some of the most looked-up topics online for aging Boomers. It is easier to keep our physical selves in shape, the results are visible: waistline bulge, hairiness, and screams of horror when we don bathing suits send measurable clues as to the fitness of our bodies. What isn't as apparent is how to keep our brains healthy.

My academic research career involved trying to understand the brain's plastic nature. Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to create new pathways. Young brains are more plastic than old brains, they are more easily molded and shaped. This is evident by observing how quickly children can learn. They grasp concepts much more readily than older folk. Every experience a child encounters causes their brain to push neurons into different paths, creating new connections to other paths. Kids can learn multiple languages, solve math problems, and program your TV remote by the age of six!

My son, now an adult himself, has taken upon himself the task of keeping me from becoming senile. My wife says it's too late, but my child, having a much more plastic brain than either of his parents, thinks there is still hope. His answer to keeping my brain healthy? Make Dad learn how to play guitar!

My son taught himself how to play guitar in his early teens. He flunked a few classes in high school in the process, but he had his priorities. Learning Led Zeppelin and Blink-182 riffs took precedence over quadratic equations. Luckily his brain was plastic enough to get his college degree in English and still expand his guitar skills. So surely ole Dad with his PhD can learn to play guitar, right?

Eh, not so much. I got all my degrees while my brain was as plastic as Play Doh, now I'm fairly sure the old brain has firmed up to the consistency of a Christmas fruit cake. I could see the pain in my son's eyes as my old fingers tried to go from a G chord to a D. Why can't I remember the succession of chords to play simple Tom Petty tunes? It's so easy for him, his fingers fly over the guitar neck, beautiful music gushing from the amp. My fingers fly also but the sound is more like cats fighting.

But here's the point: The finished product is not important. It is the attempt, or the experience of trying something different that stirs your brain to make new connections. Walking may not be as healthful as running but is preferable to sitting. Playing the guitar badly is preferable to watching re-runs of "The Simpsons," at least from a neuroscientific viewpoint.

Who knows? Perhaps by age 70 I can actually play something that won't make the dog run out of the room.

-- Devin Houston is the president/CEO of Houston Enzymes. Send comments or questions to [email protected]. The opinions expressed are those of the author.

Community on 06/28/2017