Old Dogs New Tricks
I’ve never believed in the adage that old dogs (or humans) can’t learn new tricks. I’ve had old dogs that learned new tricks! I’ve had dogs that only started learning tricks when they were old!
And I love learning new things. From experience, I know that I suck at many of the new things I learn (remember the leaf watercolor?? or the vision board embroidery?) but I enjoy the process. The excitement of thinking maybe this time will be different and I’ll be GREAT at diving/tote-making/egg-blowing/tie-dying and this new skill will fill my life with joy.
And the process, while often terrifying and confidence-sucking, is what’s so good for you. It’s good for the brain to keep learning new things.
Why?
When you learn new things your brain chemistry changes. The white matter in your brain, called myelin, helps improve performance on a number of tasks. The more people practice a new skill they are learning, the denser the myelin in their brains becomes, which helps them learn even better.
Your learning speed increases. Learning a new skill helps you learn things faster over time. By stimulating neurons in the brain, more neural pathways are formed and electrical impulses travel faster across them as you attempt to process new information. The more pathways that are formed, the faster impulses can travel.
You could stave off dementia. People who learn a new skill are less likely to develop dementia, which has been linked to demyelination of your brain. People who actively learn new skills don’t give their brains a chance to demyelinate, and their neural pathways are ready for new impulses to travel along them.
But perhaps the most important reason of all is that learning something new can make you happier. It can give you a sense of accomplishment and pride…and those things are never bad at any age.
SO. All that said, I am currently taking an online course in video editing. I have been getting more and more interested in video the past few years but the editing tools are just overwhelming to me. I’m amazed by the people who are self-taught, because none of the programs are intuitive or user-friendly. But the courses are usually expensive, or far away, or whatever. But now, by the grace of covid-19, I found a reasonably-priced online course.
It’s not about creating video, just editing. But it’s a start.
So let me present to you my before project – don’t worry, it’s under 2 minutes – it’s very simple and really Not Good. But it’s my starting point. It can only get better from here.
The Quiet Morning
Please be kind. The point, really, is about learning new things. Always.
What are you learning??
Linda Root
That’s great you’re diving in! I’m learning sign language, or more accurately, I am taking it up again after MANY years!
bettyewp
Oh wow, that’s awesome, Linda! I love watching the interpreters during all these government addresses. How did you come to learn that in the first place?
Linda Root
In 1979, I enrolled in an Interpreting For the Deaf program at a community college. Just before COVID-19, I dusted off my rusty skill. So glad I did ! Keeps me busy during this “stay at home” time.
bettyewp
Do you have a family member or know someone who is deaf? Or just thought it would be a good skill to have…?
Karen
I could feel the quietness of your morning. Good work! And good for you.
I wrote a song and learned GarageBand so I could send it to a friend who needed a tune for a drama she was writing and producing. I also learned to make surgical caps and made a swack and then cotton face masks for my family. Now I’m thinking lotion bars for our suddenly 100 year old looking hands. I like learning too. xo karen
Karen
I forgot to mention last night that my song wasn’t that great but I didn’t tell my friend and I guess she didn’t notice. ..? Also, that all of my learning is pretty much always accompanied by frustrated sighs and grumbling, sometimes even loud complaints and rants. My poor husband sometimes surreptitiously leaves the house and I wonder where he went.
bettyewp
Ha!
Oh yeah, I’m a very vocal and frustrated learner. It’s a good thing I’m here by myself!
bettyewp
What’s a swack? Music stuff is totally foreign to me, is GarageBand a music…editor? It might have a different name.
You write music? That’s pretty amazing 🙂
Karen
Okay, now I feel stupid. I say “swack” when I mean a whole bunch of something. I thought everybody did. Don’t look it up in the Urban Dictionary (which I just did)😲 GarageBand is a digital recording studio on Mac. I just fool around with songwriting to make my friends and family laugh. xo karen
bettyewp
Oh wow, well I’ve learned something new, I can go home now 🙂
Cheryl
I enjoyed watching your video and your editing really set the scene so well. I have been learning more about art by watching a series on YouTube called Art in Isolation. I have also been learning how to raise seedlings which will hopefully grow into broccoli, spinach and kale.
bettyewp
Ooh, I will definitely look for that series! That sounds right up my alley.
I am a master at both raising and killing seedlings 🙂 Do not ask me for advice.
Shirley Horst
I am learning how to navigate the cancer world. My husband has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It is really challenging because I am not allowed in the hospital with him (because of coronavirus). I was allowed to go to his first consultation meeting with oncologist, but from here on out I will only be able to be on the phone during doctor visits. I am so thankful for people like you that blog and talk about your day and what is going on in your world because it takes my mind off of what I have to deal with, if even for just a little while. So please continue to do what you do in all your glory, you are a blessing to me!
Wendy Reynolds
Dear Shirley,
You are very brave. This is changing not only your husband’s life but yours and your family’s as well. This is a most difficult time to have a severe illness since as care-givers we are confined and unable to be next to those we love. I am so sorry this has happened to you. Many of us have been or will be touched by cancer. It is as insidious and mysterious as the coronavirus in whom it chooses to infect. I pray you and husband are always surrounded by love and care during your ordeal.
Wishing for you only the best outcome possible, Wendy
Shirley Horst
Thank you, Wendy!
bettyewp
xoxo
bettyewp
Oh, Shirley, I’m so sorry. And what a time to be going through that! My thoughts and positive wishes are with you and your family.
jodie filogomo
You are so good at trying new things. And it really is good for us. I collaborated with a brain coach once who talked about even putting together different outfits is part of that process!! (see, I always bring it back to clothes..haha).
OXXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
bettyewp
Well, hopefully I’m getting full brain credit from this week’s outfit attempts! I’ve tried on some doozies! Maybe next week I should just share all the FAILED attempts! How do I just know that you would like all of them, too 🙂
Rhonda
The video was lovely! I’ve been trying to explore more artistic outlets… drawing, painting, rearranging my house…
Sarah
I love your video. Listening to those morning sounds that included the sounds of nature was very relaxing and therapeutic. It made my day.
bettyewp
Thanks, Sarah. My favorite was the rain with birdsong…
Linda Root
Back in 1979, I viewed sign language as a good skill to have. At that time, I didn’t have any deaf friends/family. As a coincidence, my neighbor knows ASL and worked within the deaf community for years. My curiosity was sparked! I use sign three times per week. Right now, I only communicate with one deaf person who has been very patient with me. I’m an introvert, lol 😊
bettyewp
I was wondering about that. When I get hit with social anxiety, my mouth stops working right and I bungle words, say things out of order, etc. Is it different “speaking” through ASL than spoken voice? It SEEMS like it would be but I’m not exactly sure why.
Linda Root
IMHO, I think it takes a lot more focus to communicate in ASL, unless one is proficient. That said, anxiety contributes to my errors. I recently read an article that explained sign language is relatively easy to learn BUT mastering ASL can take years!! I am signing in English order because the person is accustomed to that. ASL is conceptual. It’s a very natural language. Watching interpreters is fascinating. Sometimes I feel ASL interpreters are painting a beautiful picture. Sometimes I feel their interpretation is poetic.
bettyewp
It always looks IMPOSSIBLE to me! I remember when it first “came out,” or maybe what I actually remember is when *I* first heard of it (!), but I thought it was all letters – like put your finger this way for THIS letter, put your fingers THIS way for THIS letter, and you actually spelled things out. Holy COW that could take FOREVER! It’s probably only since I’ve seen interpreters on tv that I realized they had signs for words…and maybe even phrases (?). But it seems like the slightest deviation in hand/arm/finger movement and you could be saying something totally different than you intended? Just like a foreign language.
And it never even OCCURRED to me that sign language comes in different LANGUAGES?? You mentioned “English order,” is that what that means??
Linda Root
By English order, I meant my deaf friend keeps the syntax in the same order as we speak (much easier on my brain, lol). The interpreters you see during COVID-19 are using American Sign Language (ASL). They are very proficient! ASL is conceptual. It is a very natural language and words/phrases will not be in the same syntax… just as Spanish syntax differs from German when we try to speak or read it. Yes, it is absolutely amazing that there is French Sign Language and all kinds of sign language in different countries. At age 18, I was first taught fingerspelling (A thru Z). Fingerspelling is also used in ASL because there isn’t a sign for every single word or name. Since ASL is conceptual, it moves fast and words such as “a”, “an”, “the” and many others are usually omited. I believe adverbs are often emphasized and viewed as animated by people unfamiliar with ASL…. it draws our attention. Prepositions aren’t spelled out typically. In ASL, if you are telling a story, you “set the stage” (that serves as prepositions). Some people, like myself, know fingerspelling and signs which are used in ASL. However, I don’t know ASL because I’m using basic concepts not fancy ones. Like any language, it takes practice. One day I signed “ugly” instead of “cereal”. To me, learning a different syntax is like doing a backflip in my mind!! Anyway, I hope I haven’t conveyed inaccurate information about ASL, I’m just trying to learn, improve and SURVIVE during this time of COVID-19. An old dog learning new tricks, LOL 😉
bettyewp
It’s all so interesting! And you keep on learning!
Marian
This film was sooooo nice! You captured the mood of your morning, the quiet and the little sounds of everyday things very effectively.
I’m sure film editing is much harder than it looks. I know how hard it is just to edit one photo on my phone!
We are middle-aged dogs and learning new tricks is fun. The question is, will we still be learning new things when we’re 87? I hope so! The more interests you have, the more curious you get.
bettyewp
Thanks, Marian. I was definitely trying to catch the morning sounds. It challenging to film in here because of lack of light and space to get camera positioned as I’d really like.
Yeah, today was the second class and I’m already miles behind! I will spend time this weekend getting caught up to where I should be, and I’ll have some time to play with the program.
I certainly HOPE I’ll be learning new things when I’m 87. I still hope to someday have a piano, a place large and soundproof enough for a piano, so I can learn to PLAY the piano! And to learn FINALLY how to sew. And part of that is really learning how to control my sewing machine (and first I have to FIND it)!
Andrea Kenner
Very nice! I liked your featured performers (your kitty and Gov. Cuomo). I really liked your use of reflection and light. The orange burner under your teapot was a nice touch!
bettyewp
Thanks, Andrea. Janey will appreciate the acknowledgment of her performance 🙂