Sunday, March 25, 2007

An Analytical Mind

It was pointed out to me recently by Patti of Late Boomer Bloomer that I appear to have an analytical mind. Although Patti and I have only recently met as blogger pals (as opposed to pen pals), I think her observation is very "right on".

For my whole life, up until now, I've been interested in why things are the way that they are, why things happen, and how things work. For me it's never been enough to just observe something, I've always tried to figure stuff out...whether it's been something mechanical, emotional, or just part of everyday life.

Up till now, this has served me well. I can change a door lock (but not pick one, although if I had been inclined to learn how to pick one, I certainly could have "picked that skill up"), I seem to catch on pretty quickly when someone explains something new to me (as long as what they are saying is logical)...although I'm not as quick as I used to be. So far, I am pretty much able to keep up with new technology (although I'm finding that Ten and Twelve are not so far behind me!).

I'm also finding that there is a part of me that doesn't seem to care to figure everything out anymore. I can't seem to work up the energy to want to. The need to understand how and why things are, the way they are, is lessening... This worries me! Does this mean that my mental capacity is deteriorating, that my ability to learn new things is diminishing, that I am losing my mind, brain cell by brain cell? Could it be that I am becoming less analytical? Could I be relaxing more as I get older? Or...could it be that am I just getting old?

10 comments:

Joan said...

It's none of the above. I think it's just that you're so overwhelmed with life at the moment that your mind just can't take on any new challenges. I'm guessing your analytical skills are still there...buried under all the things a mom, wife, parent- caregiver, and working girl has to worry about.

Patti said...

Lynn, I think the title of your blog sums it up. Your ability to learn new things isn't diminishing. You are just "one tired mama." Seriously. I know how you feel. There is just too much to be done in the course of a day, too much to keep track of. Actually I just hinted at this very topic in my morning blog a few minutes ago, before visiting you.

P.S. This is off-topic, but I wanted you to see a note I wrote you in my comment section on Friday when we were having our "highways and byways" conversation. Hubby knows a bit about your neck of the woods.
;-)

Patti said...

WOOPS - It was at the end of my Friday comment section, but I wrote it to you on Saturday...don't think you saw it.

jaded said...

I don't think you are becoming less analytical, just maybe a bit more pragmatic about how you use your time. Being analytical requires more time to explore and think things through completely than buzzy mothers have. I used to be more analytical when I was younger. Now I am analytical enough to recognize there is more than one way to troubleshoot a problem without knowing having to know he complete anatomy of all components.

Off the subject, the Missus is looking for some birthday ideas for her nephew. He just turned eleven and he is officially too cool to interact with grown ups in public. He's athletic and into baseball. The Missus is trying to avoid getting him a gift certificate. Any sage advice you can offer is appreciated : )

the moose buyer said...

you are just plain pooped!!!!

Renee Nefe said...

My pastor once accused me of being able to Hot Wire a car. At first I tried to protest, but then I got to thinking about it and figured that if what they show on TV is correct, I could probably do it. LOL

I'm very mechanical in nature.

And I too am not as interested in figuring things out right now.

Pam said...

I remember reaching a point where I felt like that Far Side cartoon where the kid with the small head is sitting in school with his hand raised. He says something like, "Teacher, can I be excused? My brain is full."

They need to invent those little flash drives for our brains -- we could just stick them in our ears and have a whole bunch of empty space just waiting to be filled. But that would take too much time. And thought. And analysis.

Never mind.

Lynn said...

Joan - If it's buried under all of the stuff that I have on my plate, do you happen to have a back-hoe that I can borrow?

Patti - I truly hope that it's just because I'm tired. As to your
comment from the other day, it may look like a turnpike and seem like an expressway, but it's a freeway which works more like a parking lot...1984 was a loooong time ago. What did you hubby think of this area?

Patches - I can handle that I am being more pragmatic with my time. As for your question, Ten suggests that you find out what your nephew's favorite baseball team is and who his favorite player is, and buy him a team jersey with the players name on it. (Two of my nephews, ages 14 and 16 are very into basketball, and they love getting basketball team jerseys with their favorite players number on it).

Only Oldest - You may be right.

Renee - Between you and I we could definitely have ended up on the wrong side of the law... fortunately for our kids, we are both law abiding citizens!

Pam - What a great idea. If they can insert cochlear implants or pacemakers into people...it shouldn't be too much of a stretch to insert a "USB port" into someones brain and download information...I think you definitely have something there!

Patti said...

My husband recalls he did a lot of driving and put 700-plus miles on a rental car while there. He said the weather was really nice in the basin.

P.S. I've been as far west as Ohio.

Thanks for the mention of my blog.

sari said...

Maybe you're just more selective on what you spend your brain on?

I'd think of it that way.