Keep Learning to Keep Your Mind Active and Your Spirit Happy

I have always said that it's important to keep learning.  If you are not learning, you are not living.  Learning new things that interests you keeps your mind active and the spirit happy.  I believe a commitment to lifelong learning is an important key to aging well. 

As a case in point, consider my husband (47).  In the last three and a half years, he has committed to learning how to fly airplanes.  On top of his full-time day job, he has put in countless hours of studying, as well as many hours of both ground school and flying lessons.  On June 19, 2013, he took his flight test, and passed.  He is now an official "Pilot in Command" (PIC).  We, his family and friends, are very proud of him!

What are you going to do to keep your mind active?  What can you do to make your spirit happy?

If you liked this post, you may also like: Flying High

-- Angela G. Gentile

Putting Theory Into Practice

Today I attended my first university course in over 20 years.  It's been that long since I graduated with a Bachelor's degree.  Today was the first day of my Family Therapy (Family-Focused Social Work Practice) course, in the Faculty of Social Work, Graduate Studies Program.  This is my first step in my journey towards obtaining a Master of Social Work degree at the University of Manitoba.

Today we went over our class outline.  I was pleasantly surprised (and a wee bit anxious) as we went over the details.  Not only are we doing theory work (i.e. reading lots), writing papers, and doing a research project, we get to put our theory to practice by working with a REAL family.

I and another student will be matched up with a family, either a couple or a family with young children under age 12.  We will work as a dyad.

It's exciting for me to start this journey.  I am looking forward to this new adventure.  It is a new chapter in the story of my life.

Next week I start another new course.  I am taking two courses this semester.

I will be doing a lot of reading, writing, and studying.

I am probably the oldest student in my class.  I feel like I can bring a lot of life experiences to the table.

Lifelong learning.  I think I like it.

Have an awesome day,

Angela G. Gentile

Don't Be Afraid to Be "YOU"

Phyllis Diller, 1917-2012

When I learned of funny lady Phyllis Diller's death, I was quite surprised.  I had just been reading quotes on aging the day prior, and there were a couple of her quotes that made me laugh:  

I'm at an age when my back goes out more than I do.  -- Phyllis Diller

I don't know how you feel about old age...but in my case I didn't see it coming.  It hit me from the rear. 

-- Phyllis Diller

Phyllis Diller died at her home at age 95 on August 20, 2012.  I started looking for some videos of her, and found one where she talks about what she has learned about life.  She speaks very highly of a book called, "The Magic of Believing", by Claude M. Bristol.  I watched the video and thoroughly enjoyed her inspirational messages.  Some of the takeaway messages I get from her are:

Keep learning, up until your last breath.

Our minds are so great - it's a great computer.  

Don't be afraid to be "YOU".

Be the best YOU.  Be kind, gentle, sweet and darling.

Imagine wearing an imaginary white-feathered cape, so the negative, critical remarks bounce off you like water off a duck.

Think private, positive thoughts.

Be happy.  Convert everything in your life into love.

See her in this video, being interviewed by three different people at three different stages in her life.  She talks about "The Magic of Believing".  The video is called, Phyllis Diller on "The Magic of Believing", the book that shaped her life.



Click on the arrow above, or go to this YouTube link:  http://youtu.be/Ma0FbWLSOcU

What a beautiful woman.  She will be missed.  Rest in peace.

Have a great day,

Angela Gentile

Back to School - The Mature Student Experience

"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young." Henry Ford

As I reflect on the quote above, I feel that it is really hitting home with me.  I have decided to go back to school.  I am in my mid-forties, and I am pursuing a post-graduate degree.  I made the decision to apply last fall, and the process of application was quite complicated and involved. After many months of waiting, I have been accepted into the Faculty of Graduate Studies at the University of Manitoba.  I start working on my Masters of Social Work degree (graduate specialization in aging) this September.  Sometimes I ask myself, "Do you really need this hassle?", then I quickly remember why I want to do this.  

I have a love of learning.  I guess I am one of those "Lifelong Learners".  I have enjoyed learning ever since I was a child.  I have also felt that if I am not learning, I am not living.  This huge, vast world has so much to offer.  

17 years ago I had put in my application for admission to the Masters of Social Work Graduate Studies program.  My plans drastically (and happily) changed when I found out I was pregnant.  I decided to withdraw my application and focus on my new life as a parent and raising my child (soon to be children).  Now, 17 years later, I am going back to school.   I had a wonderful 17 years of parenting and focusing on my children, and now I feel that they are at an age where they are more self-sufficient and can handle most things on their own.  We will all be studying, as they are both in school. 

Some things are much the same as they were about 20 years ago when I attended university.  As I was walking through the halls, taking the stairs, walking through campus, it was all very familiar.  Same look, same smells, same everything.  The students looked to be in the same age group as they were 20 years ago.  The university I will be attending is very old, and there doesn't appear to have been any changes since I was gone.  What has changed significantly is the way that we register.  Everything is done online now, through Aurora Student services.  You have to be technologically savvy to register at University now.  If you're not, good luck with that.  You'll need to call upon someone who can help.

I will be taking two courses this upcoming term. The first is called, "Family-Focused Social Work Practice", and the second is, "Social Aspects of Aging".  I have ordered my text books from Amazon.ca and I am eagerly awaiting their arrival.

I am looking forward to my new adventure of learning, growing, and developing my expertise in the field of aging.  

What are you planning to learn about this fall?

Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day!

Angela G. Gentile  

Back to School

This is the time of year when all the students go back to school.  New beginnings - new clothes, new teachers, new classmates.  Many of us welcome the familiar feeling of routines after a summer of relaxing and having time for vacations and time with family and friends.  Change can be hard for some, but change is inevitable in life.  Learning how to deal with new situations and new challenges can help us grow both personally and spiritually.

"Back to School" time may mean back to organized sports, back to music lessons, back to a new season of our favourite television shows.  Back to learning.  It means all our friends are back from vacation. 

Back to school in our household is welcomed and we look forward to both the familiar and newness that this time of year brings.  Bring it on!

Have a great day.

~ Angela Gentile

Learning Italian

Learn a new language and get a new soul.  ~Czech Proverb

 

Scanno

 

Buon giorno! (Good day).  My children and I have decided to learn Italian.  We are going on a trip to Europe and we will be seeing people in their Dad's hometown, Scanno Italy.  We will also be spending some time in Rome.  I was looking for some courses, and the one I wanted to sign up for locally was already full.  I looked at another course through our Italian Cultural Centre, and it was too costly.  I then searched for online courses.  There were two online language programs that looked equally good.  Rosetta Stone, and Rocket Languages.  We chose to go with "Rocket Italian".  There was a free 7-day trial, and we first signed up for that.  We were hooked.  For an affordable price, both my kids and I can learn Italian, together.  We take about 20 minutes every day or two and learn a lesson.  We sit in front of the computer, and we all do the lesson together.  Thankfully, we have an Italian-speaking person in the home (my husband) so that if we have additional questions, we can just ask him.

It's a great thing for the family to do together.  In the convenience of our own home, on our own time and at our own pace.  We have printed off some of the lessons too, so that we can refer to them as we go along.
Who knew learning a new language could be so easy?

There are so many languages offered by both of these companies, that I am sure you could find what you need, too.

Go to these links to learn more:  Rocket Languages: http://www.rocketlanguages.com/  or Rosetta Stone: http://www.rosettastone.com/

Ciao a tutti!

~ Angela Gentile

Flying High

Did you ever think about what it would be like to fly an airplane?  I enjoy flying when I go on trips because it takes me to where I am going faster than it would to drive or take a train or bus.  My husband is taking flying lessons, and he took my son on one of his lessons.  My son then wanted to try flying himself.

Harv's Air is a flight school in Manitoba that offers a Discovery Flight for people 14 years and over.  My son (almost 15) went on this discovery flight and it was a perfect sunny day.  The plane was a small white, two-seater, model C-152.  The instructor's name was Mike and he started off by doing a walk-around to check the plane to ensure safety.  My son and Mike got into the plane, and Mike taxied it to the runway.  As the plane was gaining speed and getting ready for take off, he told my son to "pitch back now" which was pulling back on the control column.  He said to do it slowly.  As my son did that, the plane took off up into the sky.  My son felt excited with the feeling of flying.  Mike turned the plane in the direction they were going, and my son kept the plane going straight forward by holding the control column.  As my son looked out the window, he saw houses, fields, farms, the river down below. Mike pointed out the altimeter, the air speed and attitude indicator (nose up, nose down). My son enjoyed the view, and he said they had to wear headsets so that he could hear the instructor as the plane was very loud.  When they arrived at the practice area, Mike told my son to bank left, bank right and pitch the nose up and down.  My son really enjoyed banking and climbing at the same time.

One of the highlights of the flight was to do a spin (the spin is not usually part of the Discovery Flight - this was by special request).  A spin is when the instructor puts the nose up really high causing the plane to stall, then one of the wings tip and you start descending, or falling towards the ground, spinning in a circle.  The plane then straightens up then eases out of the dive.  My son felt the g-forces mostly when he pulled out of the dive.  People who ride rollercoasters would be familiar with this sensation.  He thought it was really cool to be staring down at the ground from the front window and he enjoyed the sensations of the g-force.  This entire spin didn't last very long (maybe 5 seconds?). 

On the way back to the airport, Mike took the controls.  He landed the plane. It was a smooth landing. The entire flight took about 20 minutes. 

I asked my son if he wants to learn how to fly and he said there is so much to learn.  He was satisfied with this experience for now. 

It's important to follow your dreams and experience new things.  It adds a little excitement to your life.

Have a great day!

~ Angela Gentile