Learning New Skills Is A Good Thing As We Age......But All At Once?

The WSJ ran a story a week ago called "It's never too late to learn new skills," highlighting how older adults can learn languages, downhill skiing, even coding no matter their ages. This is an encouraging idea for me and R (and so many others) because we are learning to cross country ski (lots of hills in Bend even when cross country skiing) and I love learning and this gap year has been, and I hope continues to be all about learning and new experiences. Besides current thinking is that learning something new is really good for our aging brains. But I have a question -- must all my new learning, all the new skill sets come at once?

Apparently so ... at least when one moves. Right now, everything is new -- well except for us because we are still old as is the car.  There is the house in all its gleaming newness to figure out. There is the new city, mostly yet to be explored not to mention the vast Oregon outdoors and spectacular nature. Then there is the new life to be discovered, new friends to make, activities to select and engage in, places to go, people to see. You get the drift. Also there are the new physicians to find and new dentists to book. Did I mention that we also each need a new driver's license requiring us to take the written test?

All the appliances and gadgetry in the house are also new. When's the last time you read instruction books for an oven, convection oven, cook top, outside gas grill, refrigerator, dish washer, heating system, and washer and dryer?  On Christmas I almost melted a pot because I didn't bother to "learn" that the cooktop has a super burner which produces enough force to lift a small rocket or melt steel. And because we divested ourselves of many older household possessions prior to leaving Chicago, I have the pleasure of learning about, but never really understanding, how to use two televisions (they look like TVs but act like sly, slightly suspect oversized computers). Now we have AppleTV with its bright, teasing icons that frustrate me with constant lock outs and a mysterious DVR recorder that I can't operate and a Smart TV I'm unable to turn on. I'm actually not sure how the Smart TV differs from a regular TV but I'm guessing I'll learn. Or better yet, one of them may tell me -- if they are so smart. However I frame this time, it comes down to that I have lots to learn. So much it turns out that my brain and I had to take a "break." For those not in the mental health profession, that's a euphemism for I had a melt down. It wasn't pretty. It was a little sad. But after a day or two of rest, I and my brain recovered.


What's the lesson? The WSJ article is correct -- older brains that sit upon older bodies 
can learn new skills. But probably the skills should be learned one or two at a time rather 
than in large chunks. That's my experience.
Bed count holds at 72 but I'm hopeful that a little travel is in my future. After all the learning and new skills acquired, I've earned some R & R. After I pass the written driver's test.