Cynicism and Dementia

A study by the University of Eastern Finland determined that cynical people were three times as likely as optimists to get dementia.    Put on your rose colored glasses!

Neovonen, Elisa et al. "Late-life cynical distrust, risk of incident dementia, and mortality in a population-based cohort." 28 May 2014. Neurology. 29 May 2014. http://www.neurology.org/content/early/2014/05/28/WNL.0000000000000528.short  

"Cynicism masquerades as wisdom, but it is the farthest thing from it.   Because cynics don't learn anything.

Because cynicism is a self-imposed blindness, a rejection of the world because we are afraid it will hurt us or disappoint us.  Cynics always say no.  But saying 'yes' begins things.   Saying 'yes' is how things grow. 

Saying 'yes' leads to knowledge."    Stephen Colbert  2006 Commencement Address   Knox College

              Above information from an article by Cindy Hoedel in the Kansas City Star June 8, 2014

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A Good Listener

             I am a lay speaker in the Methodist Church and substituted for the minister
             last Sunday, Pentacost.    I rehearsed my message on the Holy Spirit before
             my cat on my small screened-in porch.   She listened with rapt attention and
             every time I paused, she said, "Meow".     I believe that is Feline for "Amen".
             (See yesterday's entry for an example I gave in the sermon.)

Connections from the Past

A few weeks ago, I had a message  from a person with with whom I had a family connection many years ago when I was a teen-ager.  Judy now lives in Little Rock, Arkansas, and someone sent her a copy of my book, "Water Carried Uphill", a collection of stories of people born before 1940.    She wanted me to know how much one of the stories in the book had meant to her.   "Virginia Ahrens",
she said.

Virginia is now 90 years old, lives in a nursing home, but attends church every Sunday wearing one of her favorite hats.   What most people do not know is that she spent half of her adult life as a minister's wife in a big church in Chicago.   That marriage came to an end, she was divorced and had to re-invent herself into another life.    When interviewed for the book, she did not want to dwell on the painful experiences of the past.   She said, "Life can be a rocky road.   Bad things happen.   If you don't turn it loose, you can't lead a healthy normal life."

Judy said that at the time she read this, her son was going through a messy divorce and she was heartbroken.  Virginia's words suddenly gave her a perspective.   Sometime later, one of her friends was experiencing hard times and she was becoming bitter.   "Listen to this,"  she told her friend,
and she told her Virginia's story.

I told Judy that I shared her message with Virginia and how pleased she was.   The Holy Spirit works through us to strengthen the lives of others.

Bjorn - Age 10 - Beaconsfield, UK