What was the best April Fool’s prank you heard about last week? Leave a comment
About a week ago, NPR ran a story about a study of a drug that “allows the brain to absorb new information as easily as it did before age 7.”
Yahoo!
I was all enthusiastic about having a brain flexible enough to learn perfect pitch (the subject of the study), or a foreign language which, the report reminded, is much easier for children to learn than for adults. The whole idea being able to learn stuff missed during childhood, such as the language of mathematics (as the sad state of our checkbook attests I missed it) was highly enticing. So enticing I was compelled to read the online story to see if it was too good to be true.
Turns out, it was.
Too good to be true, that is. According to the comments made by listeners and readers–and there were plenty–the mood-stabilizing drug used in the study has lots of side effects. Also, as some who left comments snarkily and repeatedly pointed out, the name of the drug was misspelled in the transcript of the audio report. (Nothing in the report as to whether the misspelling was a side effect of the mood-stabilizing drug or if the person who did the transcribing missed the language of spelling before age 7.) Either way, the side effects mentioned in the comments make it doubtful that the smart pill will be on the market any time soon.
So this creeping-up-on 60 body is stuck with its creeping-up-on 60 brain.
Back to life before hearing the report of the smart pill and visions of speaking multiple languages began dancing in my head. And visions of dancing the tango. Along with visions of learning to figure skate, play chess, and put on mascara with my mouth shut. All skills missed before age 7. At least this way, I console myself, my body and brain remain a matched set.
Though I really had my heart set on wearing a flippy little figure skating skirt.
Photo Credit: www.freedigitalphotos.net
You know you’re a book lover when…
How do you and others know you’re a book lover? Leave a comment.
Saturday morning, I was driving to a speaking event when NPR broadcast a story about a newly released John Denver tribute album, with songs performed by current popular singers including Dave Matthews, Emmy Lou Harris, Josh Ritter, and Olde Crow Medicine Show.
I sure wish the man of steel, who thinks I don’t like music much, had been along to see the tears streaming down my face when the radio host played several John Denver songs popular during my teen years. Those songs evoked such strong memories of my older sister (who I thought knew everything) describing this new folk singer she said I would love, of dancing to John Denver songs at high school sock hops and college dances, and of our kids singing along to the John Denver and the Muppets Christmas Album.
The radio story got me to thinking about my favorite John Denver songs and resulted in this top ten list.
10. Lady, My Sweet Lady–My friends and I usually went stag to high school sock hops and spent a lot of time imagining slow dancing to this song.
9. Rocky Mountain High–Many of you might rate this song higher, but I love prairies more than mountains.
8. Leaving on a Jet Plane–We thought deeply significant thoughts while singing this song in tenth grade chorus.
7. Thank God I’m a Country Boy–The lyrics make me think of my dad.
6. Merry Christmas, Little Zachary–This one tugs at my parent heart every Christmas.
5. Follow Me–Yes, about every other wedding from the 1970s used this song, and musicians got tired of it back then. But now, the song makes me think of the people in those weddings, and I like that.
4. Sunshine On My Shoulders–Because sunshine on my shoulders does make me happy.
2. Annie’s Song–Because of our daughter.
2. Country Roads, Take Me Home–Because of our son.
1. Grandma’s Feather Bed–Because my Grandma Josie shooed her grandkids to the basement where we slept in a bed almost as crowded as the one in the song. We didn’t get much shut-eye, but I wouldn’t trade the good times and good memories for a full night’s rest.
What are your favorite John Denver songs? Why?
